Fishing The Pandemic

So what's it like to fish in the scyfy dystopia that is our new normal? Good question, and rather than rely on some kind of "news" channel I went to the lake to find out for myself.

First up, Soldiers Bluff wasn't an option, "Park Closed," said the sign. Undaunted, I made my way to the other side of the dam. Another fail, you could get there but the pier was shut, blocked off by police tape. 

You Can't Fish Here. Thanks, China.

Thanks a lot, China, I was looking forward to fishing the pool, but no. I stared out at the mighty Brazos, streaming its way towards Waco, Houston and the sea under a big Texan sky. Would the ChiCom Plague, this Pandemic, defeat the expedition? 

Wytche Way?

No, it would not, so I drove to the marina, which wasn't blocked off by police tape and threatening signs. Boating's still allowed you see, at least here, and I set up on the pier and fished away. It was slow going and then, just as I was getting ready to pack it in for a bad game of soldiers something took the hook.

Get A Haircut Hippy. Oh, You Can't. Good Work, China

Bam! Rod double, line out action as a monster, maybe a shark, took the bait and ran with it, and run it did, right around the cleaning station. Diving, pulling, thrashing action and I was hoping for a big cat but up came a Leviathan Carp Buffalo. 

China Eats Carp  Buffalo. I Don't. Back You Go

A passing fish head helped me pull the beast out. "Well lookit that," exclaimed my gap-toothed new pal as we looked in wonder at the Carp Buffalo, "They'd be all over that in Russia. On a light little rod too. I reckon I'll just fish this here pier for a few minutes."

The Compound

The prehistorically scaled Carp Buffalo went back to fight again another day and I went back to the Compound in the sun, mission accomplished. So what's it like to fish the Pandemic? Not bad at all.

Tight Lines,

LSP

Low Sunday 2020

Our Orthodox friends are celebrating Easter but for us in the West it's Low Sunday, and it sure started off ominously with low, dark clouds, thunder and the threat of torrential rain. I liked that, it seemed apt, celebrate the Mass in a storm. But the rain held off and the Sacrifice was offered on the church steps of Mission #1 with the people pulling up to the curb for the service. 

Good result, and I'll wager the only "public worship" being offered in this small bucolic farming community on Sunday, or any other day. Of course in England and some US states it'd be banned because it's so very much more dangerous than going to Walmart. Well, that's risky at the best of times, to be fair.

Mission #2 was a bit more advanced, we worshiped God in the car park and everyone stood by their rigs with facemasks. But I'm not sure why they did. How would wearing a facemask, when you're a sturdy 10 feet away from anyone else, protect you from the Red Death? Far more likely to infect yourself with and from the wretched mask. 

Whatever, it was a blessed event and I bellowed out the Mass and a short homily on the reality of the resurrection. Christ's victory was real and it's real for us too because he lives in us and we in him. So be firm, unshakable, rejoice and have hope because in Christ death and the grave have no power over us. DFTR, when you think about it.

Homiletics aside, the sun came out for the Domine non sum dignus (Lord I am not worthy) as I turned and faced the car park massive with the Body of Christ. In that moment, heaven shone on silver and the veil between the worlds was slim.

God bless,

LSP

Nancy Subzero Pelosi

You know what's going on because you read Adrienne's Corner. You know that Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi featured on CBS in front of two Subzero fridges worth $24k talking about the emotional value of $13 a tub ice cream. 

All this when her party's blocking American businesses from getting loans to retain workers. What does it mean? Obviously that she has subzero respect or affinity with working people. Here's Adrienne:

Just as my heart started to return to normal I stumble on fake Catholic Pelosi standing in front of her very expensive refrigerator touting how she soothes herself with ice cream that costs $13.00 a pint.  Hey, not to worry dirt people - you can have it delivered for about $19.00.

Is it possible to be anymore arrogant and tone deaf?  I doubt it.  Over 22 million people are out of work wondering how they're going to pay their mortgage or rent, put food on the table, and care for their families and this arrogant multi-millionaire is telling them to buy ice cream?

Pelosi's net worth is a nifty $140 million, not bad on a congressional salary. But how did Nancy get so rich? By being a MARKET SEER who, for example, bought $5 million in Amazon stock just before retailers were forced to shut. That stock's risen from from 1.6k to over 2k, earning the Pelosis over a million dollars in just 10 weeks.

Nice money, right? For a Socialist. 

Seriously, does the corruption of our rulers know no bounds? Pitchforks and Torches down the Mall.

Cheers,

LSP

Barbra Striesand Lies

Legendary revolutionary protest singer Barbra Streisand lashed out at Trump in an Easter Sunday tweet, accusing the President of killing 20,000 Americans because of "incompetence and lies."

I wrote a song called ”Don’t Lie to Me” after Trump was elected, because he was a serial liar. Now, with more than 20,000 people dead because of his incompetence and lies, he's proven that he can’t handle the truth. He’s unfit to lead this nation...especially in a time of crisis

— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) April 12, 2020

Streisand's smash hit single "Don't Lie to Me" featured on her 2018 album Walls and showcases the singer's lyrical genius in its heartfelt refrain, "Don't lie to me, don't lie to me, you lie to me. Don't lie to me, don't lie to me, you lie to me." 

Moving, right? And the album debuted at #12 in the US, but some listeners weren't impressed, accusing the famous political activist of being "phony and soulless" as well as "mewling."

"The singing on 'Don’t Lie to Me' is phony and soulless. Her mewling incantations of op-ed sentiments recall those obsessive links to New York Times articles on her blog."

— Andrea E (@AAC0519) November 5, 2018

Mewling aside, what's responsible for 20,000+ Americans dying from or with COVID-19? Trump's lies? If so, name one, or Communist China? I mean it's not like they covered up the seriousness of their homegrown virus and allowed it to spread around the world or anything like that. So by all means sing about lies, you liar, but hit the right target.

Super talented, lying celebrity Socialist Barbra Streisand has an estimated net worth of $400 million. 

Das Kapital Forever,

LSP

Bushcraft Wednesday Redux

Do you remember "bushcraft"? Here, maybe this will help.

Your Pal,

LSP

Listen Up Heathen

Presented without comment except to say all hail B16 and this. England wasn't known as Mary's Dowry for nothing; let's get that back, eh? And stop skulking in low-level, stripped pine, plate-on-the-wall kitchens.

While we're at it, reclaim the Faith from the enemy who's infested the Holy Church of God.

Ut Unum Sint,

LSP

Behold Your Rulers

Ask yourself who controls, rules and governs this country. Nooses down the Mall, anyone? Zero gives a minimal drill down, if you care to read it.

Cheers,

LSP

Cooking With LSP - Bread Of Life

Inspired by the Archbishop of Canterbury, I went to the kitchen in search of action. Yes, bread action. Here's the thing. From January to early March you were laying in supplies of flour and yeast. 

Why? Because you knew a Red Plague panicked populace would empty the shelves come the COVID shoe drop. So what to do with all those baking supplies? Make bread, obviously, and here's an easy recipe, which works. Trust me on this.

Dough after appx 18 hours. Add more flour if too runny

Here's how it's done. First step. Put three cups of flour in a mixing bowl, add 1/4 tsp yeast and 1 tsp salt. You can add more salt if you want to make like some kind of NYT know-it-all. There's no rule, it's up to you, but I recommend 1 tsp.

Whatever, behold the result and stir it around. Don't be shy, stir it up, then add 1 cup of tepid water to the mix.  Stir that up too, it's not hard. Add more water, maybe a 1/3 of a cup until you've got a shaggy dough. 

Tip it outta the bowl and onto a floured surface

It shouldn't be too wet or too dry, just a shaggy dough, and you'll know it when you meet it. Cover that fella with clingfilm, the bowl, not the dough, and let it rest overnight, 18 hours+.

Next day the dough should look bubbly, this is good. Remove it to a floured surface and form to a ball. Add more flour or water if the floury beast's too dry or too wet. That done, put it back in the mixing bowl, cover with clingfilm and let it rest for another hour, another rise. 

Heavy Metal

In the meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450*. 30 minutes later, put some unoiled heavy metal into the oven to heat up. I use a Lodge, you might prefer Crueset. That's up to you. Another 30 minutes later, uncover the mixing bowl, form the dough into a ball again on the jolly old floured surface, take the heavy metal from the oven, uncover it and...

Put the dough ball in the Dutch, crease side up. Don't burn your hands on the incandescent heavy metal, use an oven mitt, for goodness sake. Then cover and bake for 30 minutes at 450*. Uncover for another 10 minutes or until the bread's as crusty as you like, totally your call, and remove from the oven.

Right Tasty

Gasp in wonder. You've made bread which smells good, looks good and is good, it wasn't even hard to do. Reflection over, cover that bad boy up with an Archiepiscopal tea towel and let rest for a few minutes. Then cut into it and fall upon your scoff like...

A Warrior. 

LSP

Some Kind Of Joke Mate?

Here's the Archbishop of Canterbury, he's saying a worship ritual in his kitchen. No kidding, the leader, the apostolic head of the English Church is gettin' down like a bit-part chef in his plates-on-the-wall kitchen. Really? Yes, really, when he had all of Lambeth Palace to raise up the people to Christ and hope, strength and consolation in the Risen Lord.

That aside, why aren't COE clergy allowed to livestream services from their churches? Not optimal, granted, but better than some low-level, stripped-pine  kitchen malfeasance. Maybe it's because Welby, an Etonian, didn't want his clergy to seem somehow elitist by, you know, saying worship rituals in their churches when everyone else is at home.

What utter, imbecilic, risible, faked up, hypocritical, weak, rubbish plate-on-the-wall uselessness. And what a total contrast to HRH Elizabeth II. She used her privilege, and it's not inconsiderable, to lift the nation and its people. 

Of course the Queen represents the old and true England, unlike the laughable, equivocating, bishop figure currently holding down the See of Canterbury. But hey, when you're heading up the third largest communion in the world, do it in your kitchen coz that's a powerful message.

Your Pal,

LSP

Easter Music From Russia

OK, Wilco's "Kingpin" is pretty Easter but so's this, from Russia. 

Christ is Risen,

LSP

Kingpin

Thanks, Wilco, carry on,

LSP

Happy Easter!

Storms, adventure, the silvery light, just another April morning in Texas at 3 am, as lightning split the sky, thunder crashed from the heavens and the house shook at the sheer, board-quaking fury of it. Well, it woke me up, I can tell you. A few hours later it was time to walk Blue PsyOp and get the show on the road, Easter Day style.

We strolled by the Meth Shack, the Pick 'n Steal and then back to base and picked up a server. He helped set up for Mass on the front steps of Mission #1. It went well,  the people staying in their cars at the curb of the thing. Next step?

Drive to the lake. No, not on some kind of fishing expedition, this was all about the second Mass, celebrated in the car park of Mission #2. It went well under a pop-up, though the audio part of "AV" was annoyingly imperfect. 

No matter, the Sacrament was confected, the people fed and there it was, Christus Surrexit. We even had a cop to make sure no one got rowdy or outta line. He used to run Dallas SWAT, good man. Carries a SIG, curiously.

Then, mission accomplished, I visited some churchpeople for lunch. What a good crew, descendants of Ranch 101 and rodeo stars to boot. Consensus 'round the table was that China's made an act of war, and that we should kick their butt 'round the block and six ways to sideways. Like no dam foolin. 

Here's the thing. Hitler and the Rising Sun mistook US forbearance for weakness. Big error, right, so watch out, Xi. Keen-eyed readers will note a ChiCom ship caught fire in dock the other day. Sorry, does this lack NYT CCP nuance?

Happy Easter! In Christ we have the Victory,

LSP