Astroturfing The Fauxtrage

Astroturfing is the practice of masking the sponsors of a message or organization (e.g., political, advertising, religious or public relations) to make it appear as though it originates from and is supported by a grassroots participant(s).

It's no secret that furious SJWs, Clintonistas and associated fellow travelers are planning to descend on Washington DC to disrupt Trump's Inauguration. But is this movement fueled by outrage or fauxtrage, is it real turf or astroturf?

If companies like Demand Protest are anything to go by, it's the latter. 

According to the Washington Times, Demand Protest has run ads in over 20 cities, offering people a $2,500 monthly "retainer" and $50/hour provided successful job applicants take part in 6 protests a year. Full time "operatives" do even better, and get health, vision and dental insurance. Nice work if you can get it. And who pays for the ads? The people who want Demand Protest's services.

Demand Protest tells prospective customers that they're "strategists mobilizing millennials across the globe with seeded audiences and desirable messages." And guess what, they specialize in "discretion" so your phony rent a mob won't get traced back to you. 

"With absolute discretion a top priority, our operatives create convincing scenes that become the building blocks of massive movements. When you need the appearance of outrage, we are able to deliver it at scale while keeping your reputation intact."

How fortunate, discrete astroturf fauxtrage that won't dent your moral standing. But who are Demand Protest's clients? 

4Chan users suggest George Soros, who has funded the Occupy and Black Lives Matter movements. Whether any money's left in the coffers of the Clinton Campaign for paying protesters remains to be seen.

In the meanwhile, watch out for fauxtrage on Inauguration Day. And if you want to get paid to attend the historic event, why not contact demandprotest.com and collect your check.

LSP

Putin Calls Dossier Creators Worse Than Prostitutes

Russian strongman Vladimir Putin has shown the world once again that he's a Boss, by calling out the creators of an attempted smear dossier on President Trump "worse than prostitutes."

Via ZeroHedge:

Unsubstantiated allegations made against Trump are “obvious fabrications,” Putin told reporters in the Kremlin on Tuesday. “People who order fakes of the type now circulating against the U.S. president-elect, who concoct them and use them in a political battle, are worse than prostitutes because they don’t have any moral boundaries at all,” he said.

The Russian president, cited by BBG, said that Trump wasn’t a politician when he visited Moscow in the past and Russian officials weren’t aware that he held any political ambitions.

Putin did not stop there and said that the compromising report compiled on Trump was a "hoax", and told reporters that "prostitution is an ugly social phenomenon," adding that people who stand behind "fabrications" being used against Trump "are worse than prostitutes."

The Russian leader also took aim at the outgoing Obama administration:

Putin noted that there is a category of people who leave without saying goodbye, "out of respect for the present situation," while others say goodbye all the time, but do not go away. "The outgoing administration, in my opinion, belongs to the second category," he said.

Question. Have any of you seen such drama, anger and turmoil in the transition of one administration to another?  I haven't and, for me, that signifies that Trump is doing something right to so furiously enrage our professional ruling caste.

Cheers,

LSP

Should Englishmen Be Allowed Firearms?

Maybe yes, maybe no, but I wouldn't want to be the Jihad when it all kicks off. To quote the Iron Duke:

I don't know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but, by God, they frighten me.

Thanks, JS, for the infovid.

England Forever.

LSP 

Anglican Instruments of Communion Flash Past Space Station!

UFO enthusiasts were stunned when live footage from the International Space Station (ISS) revealed the Anglican Instruments of Communion flashing past the spaceship like bright lights.

In live footage uploaded by ET experts, mysterious glowing lights can be seen moving across the backdrop of planet Earth. However, when the strange Instruments of Communion get too close for comfort, an astronaut appears to block the camera's view.

The Instruments of Communion

This has led some experts to speculate that the long lost Instruments of Communion do, in fact, exist. However, conspiracy theorists claim that the lights are part of an elaborate "cover up."

"These are some incredible clips, I've never seen any of them. How could anyone possibly debunk these?" said one UFO pundit, while a conspiracy theorist stated, "No one's fooled. It's an elaborate cover up by Lambeth Palace, they don't want us [to] know that the Instruments are lost in space."

Cover Up?

The enigmatic Anglican Instruments of Communion are: The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Primates Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council. 

A Space Alien

These were reported missing in the 1970s when the Episcopal Church (TEC) ordained women clergypersons and have been sporadically sighted over the last 40 years.

Justin Welby's Tailor

Archbishop Justin Welby was unavailable for comment.

Ad Astra,

LSP

Melania Mondays!

Time, like life itself, doesn't stand still and a whole week's passed since the last exciting installment of Melania Mondays! So what's been happening in the life of America's refreshingly attractive First Lady? Entente with Russia, that's what.

Victoria Tsyganova Shows Off Her New Collection

Famous Russian singer Victoria Tsyganova has sent Melania a special parcel via the Russian Post, a cashmere and fur jacket. According to Sputnik News, the singer hopes "that this jacket… will warm Melania's soul in difficult moments."

Furloving Melania

Here at the Compound we applaud this heartwarming gift to Melania and hope that the glamorous Presidential Consort's appeal to the Russian people will continue to play its part in thawing the recent Democrat fueled freeze in US/Russian relations.

Heartwarming Melania

Well done Melania for doing your part to stop an unnecessary, absurd, blatant attempt to save Hillary's dismally losing face by reigniting the Cold War.

Keep it up, First Lady!

LSP

Fog of War, Spaghetti Update

The fight against evil doesn't stop because there's a bit of fog on the road, making Lake Whitney look like a scene from an Arthurian legend. That's why you have to climb in your truck and brave the fog of war on the weather to get to Mass.

Also, like any soldier, you need to eat right in order to take the fight to the enemy, so I'm grateful for all the spaghetti suggestions and offer the following update.

I like everything about this safe space.

One senior member of the intelligence community sent in this helpful tip: "You might want to add some gunpowder for flavor." Good call, I will. An art philosopher recommended "a pinch of sugar" to reduce acidity and Marmite as a flavor enhancer. Well said, I'll take that as an imperative! Then a well known nature theologian said "add some shrooms!" Alright, I will.

Another pundit again told me to add some ginger nutmeg and a bit of chili powder to the sauce "because that's the way the Italians do it." Right on, I'm up for it.

Some Italian Handgun

Then there's the gun. Several firearms specialists said "no, a handgun is not 'optional'," you need it to "defend your dinner." OK, I'm convinced. Logic.

Defend Your Dinner! And Your Rods! With, er, a .303 Battle Rifle.

So thank you for the helpful suggestions. The quest for the perfect Spaghetti Bolognese continues.

God bless,

LSP

Cooking With LSP, Spaghetti -- UPDATE

"What!" you say in that exasperated I've got better things to do with my time tone, "Cooking with LSP? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard." Not so fast, large international readership, you can cook with LSP and here's how.

Tomatoes

Go to Walmart and marvel at the guy with a shaved head and an eagle tattooed across his scalp, then pick up 2 Ilbs of ground beef, 80/20, an onion, some garlic, a big can of tinned tomatoes and its diminutive brother, tomato paste. Guess what, none of this is expensive or even hard to find.

Spyderco

Then take your haul home in the rig and get down to business. First, chop up the garlic, around 3 cloves, and a medium onion. Perhaps you use a Spyderco Perseverance for this arduous task, perhaps you don't, there's no rule. 

Next step. Make like a Sovereign and pour a tablespoon of olive oil in a pot, add the onion and garlic and heat it up until translucent; do not burn the garlic like a fool.

Mix It Up

Add two thirds of your six buck Walmart 80/20 and brown it off. Stand back in amazement as the fat renders off the ground beef and pour in a big can of whole tomatoes and half a can of tomato paste. 

Feeling confident in your culinary expertise, spice it up with some basil and a couple of bay leaves. Don't be shy of salt and pepper and, if you're not on the pledge, some red wine.

Optional

Speaking of which, this is a good time to have a well deserved drink. After all, you've earned it, but don't forget your food! Stir the in potentia Spaghetti Bolognese around with a wooden spoon, bring it to a boil and then reduce heat. Let that bad boy simmer away covered for an hour or so, give it time to rest, then serve with spaghetti and Parmesan cheese.

Come Together

And that's the way I do it. Some people use fresh as opposed to canned tomatoes and I admire that, way to go; I can't be bothered. Others add carrots, celery, mushrooms, corn, sugar, whatever. I don't, I think that's a mistake.

Don't add carrots.

Sidearms are not essential to this recipe but they help, and remember...

Every gun is a loaded gun.

Your Old Pal,

LSP

*******************************************

UPDATE   UPDATE   UPDATE   UPDATE

*******************************************

The handgun is NOT optional.

A pinch of sugar, chili powder, and mushrooms are advised.

Gunpowder may be used. Marmite may be used.

END

On The Road

While you're getting into the groove of Funky Town and Barack Obama's awesome legacy, I'm psyching up to drive down I35 to the countryside. Maybe, at some point, our rulers will fix that road.

Speaking of broken roads, the Episcopal Church shut 385 churches between 2009 and 2015, a little more than one a week and that shouldn't be a surprise. Why would anyone who's looking to be a Christian decide to go to a church that's jettisoned Christianity?

Decline

The answer, of course, is that no one very much does and so the Episcopal Church and other denominations who've swapped out the Gospel for Team Hillary and the New York Times, continue their decline. After all, why bother going to church when you can successfully believe nothing and read the Grey Lady's oped in the comfort of your Chappaqua breakfast room.

Growth

In  stunning contrast to the sad and seemingly endless tale of the lib denominations' decline, churches that do proclaim the Gospel grow. For example, the Russian Orthodox Church grew by 5,000 churches and 10,000 clergymen over the last 6 years.

Crush Satan Underfoot

According to Patriarch Kirill, "This is not because someone ordered to build [a church], but because of [the] enormous strength of the faith of our people, who support the authorities’ wish."

These People Hate Russia

Is it any wonder that the progleft atheist cultural ascendancy in the West looks with hatred and scorn on Christian Russia. I'm hoping that's going to change.

Your Old Mate,

LSP

Obama's Legacy

What is Barack Hussein Obama's legacy? Healthcare, debt, unemployment, transgender bathrooms, race riots? Hard to say. Maybe it's better in song.

Thanks, Infidel.

LSP

MAGA Shines Upon Texas

The MAGA Light shines brightly in Texas, perhaps because Rick "He May Be A Fool But He's Our Fool" Perry is the nation's new Energy Secretary. Well, there was plenty of energy spilling out of the heavens on the way to Mass this evening.

And there was steak, which is cheap and plentiful in Trump's America. I mean for goodness sake, you can buy a solid Threeper for $15 at the commissary.

MAGA At Every Level

I like Strips, seared in heavy metal, brought to heat in a 400* oven and served with whatever. Maybe vegetables, maybe not. Some, most, would call that winning. Unless they're Austin vegans who live off tofu, bark, nuts and other people's money.

Austin Hippies Goofing Off

They scorn the MAGA Light, like Soros, who lost a billion big ones after the election. Bad luck, George, you lose, Trump wins.

Hangin' At The Tower

In other news, Le Pen was seen in the Golden Tower. Who knows, maybe France will become great again, too.

Ban the Burqa,

LSP

Angels

I was standing in the harsh Texan T shirt winter of a Walmart car park and looked up at the sun. It glowed with incandescent light through the high clouds, like an angel on its flight path down to the rigs and shopping carts parked right there on the asphalt. 

What are angels? The Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, teaches us that they're purely spiritual, intellectual beings and therefore incorporeal, necessitated by the "perfection of the universe" and the nature of divine creation.

A Typical Angel

Angels, we learn, are without form and matter and exist fully actualized, beings of almost pure act. They are, however, inferior to God because they are contingent upon Him. Good stuff and you can read all about it here. But maybe this is all a bit highbrow, form and matter, species and genus, essence and existence and all of that. Let's bring the definition down to earth by reflecting on what angels aren't. 

Here's a helpful infographic:

These aren't angels, at least they're not the good kind. Don't ask for their help.

Vicious rumors that top Democrat Party operatives practice ritual magic and commune with demons are entirely with foundation.

Moral of the story? If you're going to get into it with angels, choose the right sort.

God bless,

LSP

March Of The Trolls

Well, well. It seems as though 4chan /pol has been trolling Buzzfeed, CNN and the CIA, and if that particular Pepe hasn't been perhaps another has. Whatever the case, the trolls march on. Sorry, Wojak, you lose.

A Muslim at Dhimwit St. Mary's

In other interesting news, St. Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow invited a Muslim to sing on the Feast of the Epiphany. Very interfaith and thank you very much, the only problem being that the Muslim in question sang a sura from the Koran about Jesus not being God.

Wojak Cries

I don't know how many people bother to go to St. Mary's, but I do know that their Facebook commentary on the event says this:

Go Figure Dhimwits

Good looking out, dhimwits.

LSP