All Lit Up And Ready To Go

Dallas HQ looks good, all lit up and ready to go. Saying that, the tree was bought at the last minute and needed some attention. Still, it glitters like Christmas should and its ornaments shine back at you like old friends. Beautiful.

Buying last minute presents in the metrosprawl in near freezing rain was less beautiful but Half Price Books came in handy. You're not allowed to carry a gun in Half Price, leaving you rather less than half safe; fortunately no one was shot by an outraged anti-Christmas Muslim while I was there. 

The Game Stop allowed concealed carry, I think, which is perhaps unwise. Think of all the gun toting parents getting ready to unload on hideously overpriced gaming consoles, the games themselves, controllers, add-ons and the whole nine yards of the very expensive, destructive to young minds gaming industry. Anyway.

Back at the urban compound all was well and the light shineth in darkness. What do I want for Christmas? A good double, a ranch and the unity of Christendom.

Light it up,

LSP

El Dorado

Imagine, for a moment, that you were a creature from another planet or even terrestrial continent, like ACoC or Jeremy Corbyn, visiting Dallas for the first time and that you knew nothing about it whatsoever. You arrive as the sun's setting. What do you see?

The Lost City of Z

Buildings made of gold, a veritable El Dorado. Full of thoughts of unimaginable wealth you return to your people and organize raiding parties, colonists to seize the gold. Only to find, when you reach the fabled City of Z, that the buildings are made of glass.

Gold or Glass? You Decide

I reflected on that as I drove through the metrospawl on the way back from my old pal, the dentist. And I imagined the ruin, the vast mound, that will be the rebar legacy of this conurbation when it comes crashing down, as it must.

A Typical Millionaire Degenerate

Speaking of which, Charlie Rose has come crashing down. Sic transit gloria degeneracy.

Cheers,

LSP

Hypersonic Debt

Now that Dallas has removed its infamous statue of General Lee, we can safely assume that everyone's going to be better off and a brave new world of tolerance, diversity and equal opportunity can begin now that institutional racism is finally erased from our parks. But not so fast, readers.

In your excitement over statues you may not have noticed that we're $20 trillion in debt and climbing at a rate of around $1.1 trillion a year. That's something like $34,880 a second or if you picture it in terms of the speed of sound, which is 1,125 feet per second, our debt is flying at over Mach 30. Eat your heart out, Chuck Yeager.

This means that the US is hurtling towards bankruptcy at hypersonic speed and looking somewhere down the pike at a Grecian-style sovereign debt crisis. So how do you resolve a >104% debt to GDP ratio, with a $19 trillion economy and a $20 trillion debt overhang?

Through tax cuts and economic boosting? Good call but not enough. You solve the problem by devaluing the dollar, by inflation.

Jim Rickards, at Zerohedge, suggests this can be done by the Treasury inflating the price of gold, from around $1,330 an ounce to $5,000 through the use of a Gold Certificate issued to the Fed. It's been done before, in 1934 and 1953, under the Roosevelt and Eisenhower administrations respectively. And sure enough, inflation ensued.

Problem? Solution, except that your dollars will be sadly worthless. Of course there's another option which perhaps goes hand in hand with the first, war.

You can read all about the debt here and here. Or obsess about statues in parks, your call.

Midas Touch,

LSP

Fly The Flag

There's talk in some cities, including Dallas, believe it or not, of removing or relocating Confederate monuments. You don't hear that kind of talk here in the country.

I spotted this flag on the way to Mass.

Look, here's another.

And here's some more!

There are no plans to remove the Confederate war memorial in this town. That particular flag's simply not going to fly here and who knows, if you swing by the Compound you might get to use these helpful plates.

Levity aside, those who fought hard and honorably for states rights and their homeland deserve our respect, even if you consider the endeavor misguided. The victorious North, at the end of the war, recognized that much. 

While pondering magnanimity, reflect on this.

It's a near universal truth that whatever the progleft implements produces the exact opposite of its intended result. People fooling with monuments in search of cheap votes might want to take note. 

Deo Vindice.

LSP

Tooth Puller

A typical dentist street scene

Some people write books and edit and publish them, others ride, shoot and fish. Others again spend all their time at the dentist.

His teeth are fine

I fall into the latter category as the ongoing saga of new teeth continues. Like life itself it's a process, and hopefully an upwards movement towards perfection. But my advice to you is this.

Keep your teeth, if you can.

LSP

Teeth!

I'm sure that the small handful of you that read this international mind blog will be fascinated to know that  I drove across Dallas to see the dentist and get a post operation check up. Was the oral horror story heading in the right direction?

Apparently yes, thank God, and big thanks to the tooth puller for a generous clergy discount. In related news, the GOP is trying to work out some alternative to the hated, despised and useless Obamacare. Why didn't they have something in place and ready to go? Perhaps they weren't planning on winning the election.

Speaking of which, Geert Wilders is having a go in Holland. Let's see how that plays out. 

Keep your teeth in,

LSP

A Visit To Ray's

Perhaps you've had all your teeth removed and look like someone's smacked you 'round the face a bit. Whatever, visit the gunshop and buy a mug, or a gun.

I couldn't manage a gun because they're too pricey at Ray's but I'm happy with the mug.

Gun rights,

LSP

Stop Retreating

The Retreat came to an end and it was time to leave the gun free Jesuit Compound and head for Dallas. I won't comment on the spiritual benefits of the retreat, which were great, but I'm forced to reflect on the journey back to the Metrosprawl.

I35E

Those of you who have traveled along I35E towards the gleaming Ozlike towers of the 'sprawl and arrived, unharmed, at your destination have done a remarkable thing. You have gazed upon the face of Hell, and lived.

Hell

Seriously, it was insane driving, a 20+ miles slalom through massive construction at 80 mph. No lane markers, no signalling, just devil take the hindmost and hell for leather. Mad Max springs to mind. But there is a benefit.

Dallas

You get to see a city being built before your very eyes. There's something remarkable about that but please, civic planners, design the city for people not cars. That's what I say and I'm sticking to it.

God bless,

LSP

Whining Crybaby Losers and Chelsea Manning

There were tears on the faces of some White House aides

Obama staffers aren't too happy about leaving their privileged White House positions and looking for work as bus boys, valets and call girls in the nation's wintry capital. Josh Lederman, writing for AP, describes the overwhelming sense of pathos and tear stricken tragedy.

In between closing out final projects and typing up reports on the work they've done, White House staffers are packing away their knickknacks, coffeemakers and photos. 

I reflected on Josh's mawkish drivel excellent article as I walked Blue Patriot through the leafy boulevards of Dallas. It seems the Democrat Losers are lost in an unending labyrinth of fear, anger, denial and grief. 

Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, has wasted no time in declaring Russian women of a certain kind "the best in the world." Speaking of women, Barack Obama has pardoned the curiously named Chelsea Manning.

Bradley

Leaving aside the rights and wrongs of Bradley Manning's treasonable activity and the suggestion that his pardon collapses the phony Russian hacking narrative, how is he a "woman"? 

Seriously, what makes Manning a woman? His mind?

Your Friend,

LSP

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a blessed, joyous and happy New Year

from the bucolic Mesquite Groves of

Olde Texas!

Be safe and God bless,

LSP

It's a Wrap

Driving to the metrosprawl down the kamikaze Corridor of Fame, I35, is never fun but sometimes you have to do it. For example, perhaps you have to get presents for people, the kind of gifts you can't get at Walmart or the pawns.

NICE

So I took life in my hands, climbed in the rig and drove to Dallas on a quest for gifts. That meant a bookshop.

NOT NICE

North Park mall, insane traffic, a return to HQ and placing the carefully chosen items under the tree. I thought it looked good, Christmas style.

NICE

There also seemed to be a lot of presents this year, far more than usual. Why is that? The answer's obvious, there's a new sheriff in town. More gifts for everyone in...

#TrumpsAmerica

LSP

Night Patrol

It being #TrumpsAmerica, it only seemed right to walk off big steaks and go on patrol. That's right, night patrol, with Blue Combat Team. (BCT)

Watch My Tracer!

There weren't any enemies, luckily for them, but there were lots of lights. Good looking neighborhood; not so long ago it was ghetto. That's changed. Watch out for sticker shock, new arrivals.

We RV'd at a wine store, thanks, gentrification, and bought some claret. Good price and it makes a change, being from France and all. Then back to base.

Less Hood, More Vinters

The dollar stores, tattoo parlors and used tire shops have turned into a restaurant, "Bistro," thank you very much, a bookbinder and a children's shop. I'd be surprised if you could come out of the children's shop without paying less than a set of All Terrains.

Light it Up

Price aside, it's a good development. Less ghetto please, more safe, pleasant neighborhoods to walk about in.

A Typical Druid

Was I armed? That's a secret.

Glocks Forever,

LSP

Black Friday Grillout

Did you survive Thanksgiving? We did, just, and fought through to the next Objective, Black Friday. What did Black Friday mean, here at Dallas HQ?

Operation GRILLOUT. And let me tell you, it was perfect.

In other news, Welby's been spotted brawling over flatscreens at malls in flyover country. But that's a different homily.

God bless,

LSP

Oh What A Carry On!

So where you been, so-called 'LSP,' if that's your real name, which we doubt, you mutter darkly. Well I'll tell you, in Dallas, celebrating my sister BW's birthday.

BW trying not to melt in the fierce Atumn sun

That meant going to Highland Park Village (HPV) for some scoff at "MiCo's", where you can sit outside and watch the parade go by, and what a parade it is. Bentleys, serious Mercedes, the occasional racing car, so helpful for navigating Turtle Creek!, and all of that. Well done, MiCo's, for providing a box seat.

"Steal Those For Me."

Then saunter across the way to Cafe Pacific and enjoy the afternoon bar. If you're smart, you won't spend all the money you'd saved up for duck season waders... on the way, gaze at some jewelry. 

A Typical HPV Interior

"Steal those for me, could you please," said one well known English blogger and author, via the miracle of modern telephonic magic. I resisted the strong temptation.

A Real Crowd Pleaser...

But did "The Widow" pour in abundance at the cheery cafe? It most certainly did! Then it was time to head back to base and a Halloween party for the local ghouls and ghosts. Plenty of smiles from face to face to face, and big fun.

Shout loud,

LSP

LSP in the City

If you're fortunate enough not to get killed by insane drivers, you can drive to Dallas from the Compound in around 45 minutes, all thanks to Texas' own "corridor of fame," I35. I did exactly that on Monday.

The Eye Liars

But why, LSP? You ask wonderingly. Because I had to take Ma LSP to the eye surgeon early Tuesday morning, in a place they call "Arlington." What is this "Arlington?" I'll tell you, it's a road. In fact it's many roads, and it's a strip mall, make that many strip malls. It's like a vision of ersatz eateries in the midst of a traffic experiment. People live there, too, lots of them and there's Eye Surgeons.

Oh Look, a Strip Mall

So we climbed in the rig and headed off for Mid-Cities metrosprawl action and we didn't want to be late, because the surgery was scheduled for 10 am. Be there on time, went the implicit warning, or you'll miss the eye doc.

See it? A Fake Eatery

Ma LSP went under the laser at around 11 am. Good time keeping, Eye Liars, leaving me to knock about the health services strip park while gazing over the highway at the strip mall.  And then it was done, cataract gone, and back to Dallas HQ.

On The Road

What was it like in the big city? A bit dislocating after the country, the roads are a right menace, and why does there have to be so many fake eateries in phony town centers, aka strip malls. That aside, there's an energy to Dallas which I like and the skyline looks neat at night.

Drive safe,

LSP