Civil War

 

There's a lot of loose talk about civil war in the UK right about now, and that's understandable, their beloved rulers appear to be acting against the well-being of the people they've sworn to protect and serve. Witness two-tier policing, open borders malfeasance and just about every other crooked skulduggery you care to imagine. Net result? Civil war or some kind of rebellion, to put it mildly.

Hey, civil war talk was all the rage here a year or two ago for precisely the same reason, nooses down the Mall. But hold on, what would such a conflict look like? Maybe the Battle of the Crater helps to clarify things, in which a massive Union mine led to disastrous results.

Sobering, d'ye not think, and we've not even gotten into the Ukrainian brother war carnage. So maybe everyone should just simmer down and return to normalcy or "civility"? There's more than a few political philosophers with tenure that suggest such a thing. How irenic, and good luck with that. 

For what little it's worth, I feel we're past the point of no return, where there are no polite solutions to the nihilist assault on everything beautiful, good and true. But what do I know, I'm just a country preacher, living under the sylvan shade of the leafy glens of Old Texas, in the North Central Texas Exclusion Zone where every day is a foray into the preheating oven we call "Summer." 

Whatev, make your confession, go to Mass and wait for the new Franco. Spain's clearly in need.

Deus Vult,

LSP

A Short Sunday Sermon

 

Do you like sermons which go on for 30 or 40 minutes? I don't, and typically run outside for a cigarette and a cup of coffee, if available, while the preacher's banging on interminably. That in mind, I'll try to keep it short lest you lose interest and dive into the nearest gun shop.

The miraculous feeding of the 5000. Positive divine power proof that Jesus was God; mortals can't do such things. Our first lesson, the divinity of Christ, but what else? Start at the beginning of the passage and what do we find? Jesus stepping ashore from his boat, God made Man stepping onto the shore of the world, the Incarnation. Once there he beholds the crowd, the mass of broken humanity, and moved with compassion, cures the sick.

Behold the character of the Incarnate Word; full of compassion, with mercy, pity and love, he heals the sick. There on that shore it was physical disease, which points to a greater cure, our deliverance from sin and death, of being made whole again by the great physician of our souls. Where is this achieved?

On the Cross, and again the miraculous narrative points us to this, to the "lonely place apart" where the day is well-spent, to Gethsemane, the Praetorium, to Golgotha itself and the Cross, where our Lord cries out, "It is finished," and darkness covers the land even as he feeds us with the miraculous food of his body and blood.

Look what we have in just the first half of the Gospel passage, an outline of Christ's redemptive work, but we have to ask, where do we get this supernatural food? In the Eucharist, which is emphatically prefigured in the miracle. What happens?

There in the dark, recall his Passion, he takes the small offering of  5 loaves and two fish, signifying what? The Law and the Prophets, the 5 senses of Man sanctified, the sevenfold order of creation, Jesus himself who is the bread of life? All this perhaps and more and, having taken this up he blesses it, breaks it and gives it to the disciples to distribute.

He does the very same thing at the Last Supper, the first Eucharist, where from his compassion he feeds his disciples with the miraculous food of his body and blood shed for them on the Cross for the remission of their sins, for their healing and life. He does the same for us today in the Mass, where our Lord steps ashore to heal us, to make us whole again with God, nourishing us with the supernatural food of his body and blood.

What can we do in the face of such mystery? Draw near with faith to the sacrament of our Lord's Body and Blood, wherein the Great Physician heals us, forgiving our sins and raises us to eternal life.

God Bless,

LSP

Is The Church Of England Past Saving?

 

You go into Wells Cathedral Church of St. Andrew, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture once described as the "most beautiful" and "most poetic" of English cathedrals, and what do you see hanging above its knave altar? A giant inflatable rainbow dragon, floating gleefully above the grey-haired heads of the few people daring to attend the church's Eucharist.

So you flee in terror from the dragon, hoping to find peace in the contemplative, monastic stillness of a former Chapter House, but no. There's an inflatable blue snake waiting for you, coiled around the pillar upholding the minimalist fan vaulting of this once sacred space.

Why have they done this? Ostensibly, to bring mythical beasts drawn by long ago monks in the books of the cathedral library to life, and so encourage people, especially children, to go to the church. Because, you know, every kid loves a giant inflatable dragon or a big blue blow up snake. Snake's the word, the people behind this are desecrating a sacred space in the pretend hope of winning converts to a God they don't believe in, much less his architecture.

Moving on, we travel from bucolic Somerset to Chester and the North West, where "people aren't afraid to get their hands dirty." But they have, installing  Islamic "kiosks" in the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

This used to be a Benedictine abbey before Henry VIII decided to loot the Church and create a whole new breed of millionaire. That heinous crime aside, why put up these monuments to Islam in the cathedral? Baffling, ain't it, but fortunately the internet tells us:

About the Kiosk Exhibition

Design & Concept: The structure draws on the visual language of traditional Persian garden pavilions (or "kiosks") associated with Islamic architecture, which were historically used for quiet thought and community gathering. [1, 2]

Materials: The installation's walls are uniquely constructed out of recycled, reclaimed wooden pews sourced from English churches and chapels, bridging different religious traditions and architectural histories. [1, 2]

Purpose: It serves as a contemplative space meant to spark conversations regarding social inclusion, diversity, and common ground among various communities. [1, 2]

We must thank God that the "installation's walls are uniquely constructed out of recycled, reclaimed wooden pews sourced from English churches and chapels." Excuse me, scoured from churches, why, because they're shut? Wow, at the very time when the people of England need their national Church to stand up bravely for the Faith they get this, inflatable dragons and outworn, exhausting, Cultural Marxist DEI slop.

In the meanwhile, their diversity hire leaderene's in Ghana, tearfully lamenting the trans Atlantic slave trade. What a good thing, then, that she's all about committing £100 million(?) of her Church's money to slavery reparations. What a preposterous use of the laity's money, money which could be used to fund clergy, parishes and churches. But no, blown off on yesteryear's BLM Leftist fad; no wonder the few people actually left in the pews are thinking of cancelling their giving. 

utterly useless

So, is the venerable if decidedly shrinking Church of England past the point of no return? If nothing changes, surely yes. The apostates, mountebanks and imposters have won, they're in charge. Yes indeed, but God, per Chesterton, has a way of cheating the prophets. What if, dare we imagine, that Christianity's great enemy, Islam, was to convert, in the UK and everywhere else.

There's a divine logic in that, and we can imagine the overthrow and consternation of our Western Hierarchs as it occurs. Well, one way or another the pendulum's going to swing, much to the discomfiture of the grifters and jobsworths currently in power. Not unlike Capitol Hill, when you think on it.

Cheers,

LSP

Magnum P.I.

 

There we were, overlooking New Street Covent Garden from the fastness of our eyrie when suddenly Magnum P.I. came on the visual juke box of the TV. Wow, hadn't seen that show in decades but what utter genius.  

Magnum's a P.I. hired by some rich guy in Hawaii to look after the interests of the estate. Nice, he gets a Ferrari out of it. He also get's Higgins, a comedy British Major who attempts to bring some kind of reality to Magnum's hi-jinx, and there's a helicopter flown by a black Nam vet, and some other inconsequential white dude.

Note Old Skool racial harmony

Whatever, Magnum sorts out all kinds of crimes in rare good form and style. Should Tom Selleck be President of our great nation? I vote yes, you may not, that's your call and mine. But before you cast your important vote, check out the awesomeness that is Magnum P.I. And as an aside, do you think Magnum would put up with Open Borders Bolshevism (OBB), whether in Spain, here or anywhere else?

Hillerman is most utterly awesome

Of course he wouldn't, and neither would anyone else apart from a Democrat, RINO, COE wymxn bishop or Labour MP. Time to say no to such errant rainbow nonsense.

Your Pal,

LSP

Get Out There

 

Get out there, but to do what, shoot guns, fish, sight-see and all of that? No, to visit the sick, in this case a man in the final stages of ALS, which is an awful disease. I administered Last Rites or Extreme Unction and he told me, afterwards, in a whisper, that he was "ready to go." What a good man and I pray for a miracle; you might pray for him too, his name's Jimmy and he's a vet who was awarded the Purple Heart in Vietnam.

Visit over, I headed back to HWY 6, Meridian and home via all kinds of rocky paths. I tell you, my friend lives in an interesting place, with cactus hills, mesquite and hilltop mansions, and you can picture the Commanche lookouts on the hilltops. Fortunately there were no savage Commanche, but I did drive through a small herd of Black Buck Gazelle as I rode to the gate. Exotic, and I'm sure you get the picture.

typical Black Buck Gazelle

 

In utterly unrelated news, some 80,000 Moslem savages have crossed into Spain's North African city, Cueta, facing Gibraltar. The border simply collapsed and the Communists in Madrid have done effectively nothing to stop the flood, what a surprise; something similar's happening in Melilla. Reports indicate Spain's police and army have stood down in the face of the invasion. Again, what a total, never would have guessed it surprise.

savages

Unwelcome surprise aside, pity the poor people in Cueta and Melilla, betrayed by their beloved nihilist Socialist Rulers. Perhaps, somewhere in Spain, there's someone ready to rise up and save their nation. Let's see, it's happened before. In the meanwhile pray for Jimmy, he's a good man.

Best,

LSP

Drive

 

The last couple of days has been all about driving, yes, mostly driving on the always-in-construction  I35. "Why," you ask yourself, "do you subject yourself to such tumult and misery?" 

Because, dear friends, a Guardsman had to be collected from Fort Hood, brought back to the Compound for an evening's R&R, and then taken to Ma LSP's in Dallas for a final installment before being driven to Terminal A at DFW for a flight back to Blighty. And someone else was going to Florida for some reason and had to be dropped off too. Two separate trips to the airport because timing. Net result?

Lots of driving on roads I typically avoid. How much better if we had a hi-speed train link to DFW instead of a grisly highway(s), but we don't. Apparently that's beyond us, at least for now, but it wasn't all bad, not by any means. The Guardsmen got a kick out of Hood and thoroughly enjoyed Texas, so much more free than nanny state UK.

I asked him as we sped to the airport in the rig, "Do they still hit you in Basic and have they lowered fitness standards so chicks can get in?" He laughed, "They do and when the MOD tells us not to we just say **** you and keep doing it. Paras the same." We shared Basic war stories, always enjoyable, and it seems not too much has changed.

Where will this young man go in the Guards? I don't know, but could see Warrant, which ain't shabby. Whatev, he had big fun visiting the kid at Hood and seeing Texas. It'll be hard for him to readjust to Aldershot, Catterick and all of that. 

In the meanwhile, young Sgt. LSP had a lot of fun with a fellow warrior from across the pond. Great result, bith want to get kinetic, Kyrie... And now? Back home in the sylvan groves of bucolic North Central Texas, which is no bad place to be.

Drive Safe,

LSP

Things Gonna Get Messy?

 

DJ Phelps lays out the scenario.

This is exactly how millions of American veterans feel. I’m one of them. We will take back our great nation. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ZHifKB8Ugt

— ReelGunslinger 🇺🇸 (@militarytard) July 27, 2026

Message to market UK/EU,

LSP

Gunpowder Therapy

 

It was only in the 90s, overcast and pleasant, so we loaded up some guns in the rig and headed out to the range for gunpowder therapy. You know what it's like, sometimes you just have to get out there and shoot, and that's what we did. First up, skeet, or "clays."

It's not hard, just swing into the vibe, put the bead on the orange biodegradable White Flyer bird and squeeze the trigger. Boom, smoke that clay, but would a young Irish Guardsman achieve that lofty goal on his first try? Yes, he did, and then some, most notably with a great value CZ O/U 20 field gun. Quick presentation and hey, it works without breaking your shoulder.

A US Army Sergeant operated as 2nd gun, shooting a vintage 870 Wingmaster 12. Pump. Boom. And I acted as thrower before rotating to both firearms. Have to say, the Wingmaster was Old Skool awesome but I like the fast action of the CZ 20. OK, it's not hand engraved/checkered amazingness but it works and works well, and you don't have to worry if its Turkish walnut gets dinged up in the field.

Next up? Pistols. Viz. 2 .38 Chief Specials (best being S&W) and 2 Glocks, a 13 and a 21 (9 & 45). The Guardsman grouped well with both Glocks but shot low left on the Green Terr, why? Trigger pull and lack of practice; you see, they're issued with Glock 13s in the Guards but I don't think they get much range time. Being a helpful and encouraging instructor, I suggested he hold at around 2 O Clock in the 8 ring (appx shoulder) and land center mass. Sure enough he did, then finished off with a good correction, holding center, hitting center.

Sergeant LSP shot really well. The pistol's his friend, more so than shotgun. Me? Shot last and punched out the X Ring by some weird quirk of shooting fate, and then we headed back to the Compound, all shot out. What a lot of fun.

Keen-eyed readers will note a wind turbine looming dystopian above the range. This is a new development and I don't like it one bit. In fact I really hate it. Have any of you run the money on this destruction of the country? 

As in: Who's paying for it and to what gain? I'm guessing taxpayer ca$h at the behest of our beloved rulers. Feel free to chime in and educate. In the meanwhile, what a good day. We finished off with burgers and brats on the grill, delicious. 

Shoot On,

LSP

Islandlwana

 

Picture the scene. Early morning in the NCTEZ (North Central Texas Exclusion Zone) and the sun's rising fiercely in the East making the back deck untenable, so you advance to the cool shade of the front porch, strong coffee in hand and 1928 BCP Morning Prayer complete. You're met by your cohort who rocks gently on the porch swing as you announce, "I say, you'll never guess what I did last night."

Pan to a quizzical eyebrow, it's almost too hot to speak, and you expound, "Yes, I watched Zulu, the movie." Now, all three of you readers of this shallow mind blog know exactly what that means, Isandlwana, the horrific 1879 defeat of a small British battlegroup by a far larger Zulu army. Yes, you know this, but Front Porch Joint Command was uncertain, "You mean some kind of horrible Victorian African war?" Exactly so, and we changed the subject.

Front porchery aside, Isandlwana sent such shockwaves through Great Britain that I was being taught about it, with a degree of reverence, let the reader understand, in the 1970s, same with the Indian Mutiny. No wonder, many of our teachers were former officers who'd served the Empire and fought the Hun to boot. But back on point.

Isandlwana. What a total, tragic failure on Great Britain's part, a lot of good men killed through sheer, bone-headed incompetence and upper class hubris, see Lord Chelmsford and associates. Well, you can read about the disaster on the internet, which details the defeat of some 1,500 Martini Henry wielding troops by around 12,000 spear chucking savages who somehow stumbled on Hannibal's famous flanking maneuver. Bad show, Chelmsford, and well done boys for rallying at Rorke's Drift, which reminds me.

Many, many years ago I let a rifle (L1A1/SLR) fall to the ground at a training range and my Platoon Commander gave the old drop and do 50, which I did. Half way through he asked, "Royal Regiment of Wales, name a battle honour." I replied, "Rorke's Drift," and he stumped off, a British South African, curiously.

So there you have it. Watch Zulu or Zulu Dawn, most awesome. If you already have, watch 'em again.

Cheers,

LSP

Rapscallions

 

Look, a couple of ne'er do wells exploring a CQB range at Ft. Hood. By way of background, my Irish Guards nephew was invited to Company PT this morning, which included some kind of Mad Max relay race with a Humvee and then the boys were off. To do what? Tour the post, not least all these CQB/MockTown ranges. Seems like Brits had been to one of them before:

You know what? We moan and gripe about the collapse of Western Civ, and rightly so, but it's not over yet, not by a long way. On point, these young men don't vote Left, and guess what? They're armed. That in mind, I went fishing while the boys were knocking about, and that was good too, tranquil.

Your Best Pal,

LSP

US Army Meets Irish Guards

 

Two boys, US Army, Irish Guards. Great combo.

Cheers,

LSP

Compounding Interest

 

One of the neat things about this rural Texan haven is that you get to visit other peoples' compounds, and this one was pretty neat. Woods, a field with a tank, chickens and turkeys, and all kinds of veg in raised bed planters. These people won't go hungry come the Eschaton; all 'round cheer. Why the cheer?

Because it was a joint birthday party for kids and adults and great good fun, no side. No, just good people having fun under the big Texan sky, and not least the kids. These are homeschooled and hugely well mannered and literate, just like kids used to be before the commie DOE destroyed them.

Seriously, what pleasant children and I say that as a founder member of the King Herod Society, a most prestigous club. Conviv at an end, there were invites to fish for MONSTER bass at a neighbor's pond/lake and shoot dove come September at the nearest tank. Result. But that's for the future.

In the meanwhile, I applaud these people for getting out of the Metrosprawl and setting up in the halcyon woods of Bosque County. More importantly, raising their children right, away from the leftist nihilsm of our taxpayer funded school system No hyperbole.

We pay serious money to Leftist mountebanks who hate our culture, religion and race to educate our kids, and then wonder why they're so messed up. Problem. Solution? Sidestep the Marxists and tutor your kids at home, it can and is being done to good effect.

Party over, I waved a cheery goodbye, "See you at Mass tomorrow." 

Cheers,

LSP