A Lenten Word

So what's going on in LSPland, you ask. I'll tell you, the sun shines, birds sing, and fasting continues apace. It's Lent, you see, and that means doing your bit to draw closer to the Cross, part of which means cutting back on all that food. St. Francis de Sales offers measured advice:

In a word, whosoever gains the heart has won the whole man. But this heart needs to be trained in its external conduct, so that it may display not merely a true devotion, but also wisdom and discretion. To this end I would make one or two suggestions.

If you are able to fast, you will do well to observe some days beyond what are ordered by the Church, for besides the ordinary effect of fasting in raising the mind, subduing the flesh, confirming goodness, and obtaining a heavenly reward, it is also a great matter to be able to control greediness, and to keep the sensual appetites and the whole body subject to the law of the Spirit; and although we may be able to do but little, the enemy nevertheless stands more in awe of those whom he knows can fast. The early Christians selected Wednesday, Friday and Saturday as days of abstinence. Do you follow therein according as your own devotion and your director’s discretion may appoint.

it is also a great matter to be able to control greediness, and to keep the sensual appetites and the whole body subject to the law of the Spirit, yes indeed and the saint goes on to counsel moderation:

I am prepared to say with S. Jerome (to the pious Leta) that I disapprove of long and immoderate fasting, especially for the young. I have learnt by experience that when the colt grows weary it turns aside, and so when young people become delicate by excessive fasting, they readily take to self-indulgence. The stag does not run with due speed either when over fat or too thin, and we are in peril of temptation both when the body is overfed or underfed; in the one case it grows indolent, in the other it sinks through depression, and if we cannot bear with it in the first case, neither can it bear with us in the last. A want of moderation in the use of fasting, discipline and austerity has made many a one useless in works of charity during the best years of his life, as happened to S. Bernard, who repented of his excessive austerity. Those who misuse the body at the outset will have to indulge it overmuch at last. Surely it were wiser to deal sensibly with it, and treat it according to the work and service required by each man’s state of life.

I found that helpful and hope you do too, from Part III Chapter XXIII of The Introduction to the Devout Life.

God bless,

LSP

Victoria Nuland Retires

 

At 50, everyone has the face he deserves. George Orwell

Victoria Nuland is stepping down as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs of the United States. That's right, the very same warmongering uber hawk neocon who drove US foreign policy in Europe and beyond, who only a week ago vowed to "tighten the noose on Putin" is stepping down. What can we say? Perhaps this:

She gave the Leviathan everything she had for so long, and now she’s discarded like trash.

You can read all about it here and here, if you like, and while you're at it ask the question, how much blood does this person have on its hands. Some argue you can even see it on her face.

That is all,

LSP

What's With Nikki Haley

 

What's with Nikki Haley? Per Tucker Carlson, “She’s so transparently weak and sort of ridiculous and doesn’t know anything, and just thinks that jumping up and down and making these absurd blanket statements, and repeating bumper stickers, is just like leadership. A self-confident advanced society would never allow Nikki Haley to advance.” Uh huh, and yet she continues to run, despite being consistently trashed at the polls.

Jim Quinn comments, via Zerohedge:

Among the dozens of false narratives spun by the black widow spider psychopaths, which include the Ukraine war, Gaza genocide, safe & secure border, safe and effective vaccines, safe and secure elections, the armed insurrection where no one was armed, Russiagate, declining inflation, and strong growing economy, the continuation of Nikki Haley’s ridiculously pathetic campaign for the Republican nomination. If you haven’t noticed, Trump has trounced this warmongering RINO, Liz Cheney wannabe in every primary/caucus thus far. All the other candidates dropped out, as instructed, leaving only Nimarata as the chosen option of the Deep State and their deep pocketed billionaire donors.

When something makes no sense and the behavior of a feckless politician seems irrational, there is something wicked going on behind the curtain and will not be revealed until those running the show decide it will benefit them financially, politically and increase their power over the masses. As Haley continues to pretend to be a viable candidate, with her coffers being filled by shadowy figures meeting in smokey backrooms, I was reminded of another pitiful excuse for a candidate in 2020.

A senile, old, corrupt, child sniffing coot, who was nothing more than a laughingstock on the national scene as Obama’s token establishment white guy, making a living as the Big Guy in his crackhead son’s worldwide shakedown operations in Ukraine, China and wherever he could make a buck. In case you didn’t remember, he wasn’t even an afterthought in the 2020 Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire primary.

 

He goes on to suggest that, given the Powers' failure to produce a "Nixon moment, El Senor Trump will get "offed" leaving Nikki as a standing presidential stooge for her deep state neo-con handlers and paymasters. Hey, Kamala Harris patently won't work and the senile, old, corrupt, child sniffing crook laughingstock won't either. Enter, according to Quinn, Nikki.

Quinn concludes in epic Zerohedge doomer style: 

"All I know for sure is the next nine months will be an epic shitstorm, with potential assassinations, civil war, global war, financial chaos and collapse, and possibly the end of our nation as we know it.

"Buckle up, the ride is about to get bumpy."

I'm no expert, but I'd say he has a point.

Your Pal,

LSP

You Miserable Offender!

 

No, not you, long-suffering readers of this shallow and frivolous mind blog, but this suit. Here's the story. Back in the far-off, halcyon days of London in the early mid '90s I found myself in a strange in between kind of space, neither here nor there, sort of thing.

Behave Yourself And Stop Shrinking

Then Cardinal Hume, may he rest in peace, stepped in with a pastoral placement which involved working as a PA for an exalted personage. This meant getting a couple of suits from a famous tailoring street beginning with S and ending in e. So I went with a made-to-measure option at one of the shops on the fabled row of tailors.

Great result and on expenses to boot. Flash forward to today. After many, many years of loyal and faithful service the wretched suits decided they wouldn't fit anymore. You'll note, ahem, that a bad workman blames his tools but, this in mind, I gave the miserable offenders another go this morning and...

Traitor! Must get That Fireplace Working...

They fit. Whoa, it seems serious Lenten fasting has both spiritual and practical benefits, almost as though the two go hand in hand. In the meanwhile, I file this exciting tale of sartorial splendour under "anything else I care to think of."

Cheers,

LSP

Take Note Ye Heathen

You may be a bit confused by this video because there's no trannies or Gaia DEI Rainbow riders in it. How, then, can the Garden-Threatening Russkies be force lethal, given their CIS-Gender commitment? 

Oscar disguised as Tyrol

Good question, and they're obviously too backward Slav Peasant to work it out. So just you wait until our unicorn brigades drive the subhuman Slavs back to Moscow, and don't you dare say Berlin 1945, it's not appropriate and history never rhymes.

Typical Oscar Photo Op

On topic, SS Dirlewanger thought he could disguise himself as a Tyrolienne, right up there in the Alps in 1945. Fail. He was beaten to death by Poles while in captivity. Well, can't say you didn't earn it, psycho.

Cheers,

LSP

Le Petit Prince

 

All the world knows Petit Prince Macron has promised French troops to Ukraine to fight against evil Putler Bear. Far-sighted readers will remember France has an ill-fated habit of attacking Russia. Perhaps it'll work out differently this time, eh?

What do you think. Do you think the entire French Army could defeat the Ukrainian Army or even the Polish Army? Perhaps it could handle the Romanian armed forces with the help of the British. Or not.

Serious point. What is NATO but a US Protectorate? And what happens when the money dries up, at 30++ TN USD$ and counting. Gold standard, anyone?

Advance to Contact,

LSP

Sunday Mass

 

You pull up to Mission #2, not far at all from Belle Starr's onetime ranch/hideout, and what do you see? Nothing fancy, just a couple of lines of pick ups, a horse trailer and a lowish church built in the 1980s in an act of faith on the part of people who retired from the Metrosprawl to live by the lake. They're mostly gone now, bless 'em. But what do you find inside?

The few readers of this unassuming mind-blog would be shocked. No guitar playing nuns, no wymxn priestesses, no rainbow flags, no felt applique banners, not even any liturgical dance. What you do get is an oriented sung Mass, Rite I (think Ordinariate style, all you RC trads), with traditional hymns. And here's the thing, the singing was led by a couple of ex-Baptist women.

I tell you, it was good, and I don't say that lightly. Imagine, if you can, Amazing Grace at the Offertory on a Loretta Lynn tip. Here's Miss Lynn:

High on a mountain top? You bet. In related news, I called our Senior Warden after Mass, "Hey, J, I haven't ridden for four years and feel it's time to get back on. Can you recommend someone to give me remedial lessons? You know, leads, asking for gaits the right way and all of that." She thought about it for a second or two, "Sure! Come out this week and ride with us, we'll find you a horse."

Now, pundits, mark me well. This is equivalent to, say, a pub guitarist calling up Jimmy Page and saying, "Hey man, is it OK if I jam with you and Eric Clapton?" You know, to get better on the guitar, and he replies, "You bet, swing by the studio sometime this week, Roy Harper's gonna be there too. He needs help."

J in the Zone and then some

Wow, what good people we have in this little country church, where the Word of God is preached and taught and the Sacraments confected. There's hope and no inconsiderable uplift in that and I feel privileged to serve here. Stay tuned for equestrian adventure.

Your Old Pal,

LSP

All The Colors Of The Canadian Rainbow

 

Justine Trudeau's beloved Rainbow Coalition ruling party is sending several million Loonies to beleaguered Ukraine to help with the war effort. Have a look:

Is ACoC running this program?

$4 million for gender-transformative mine action. What does that even mean, that EOD training will make you a tranny and the Russkies will lose the war because all their oppressively heteronormative Zemledeliye operators will die laughing?

A typical Cis-Gender Zemledeliye mine laying system

Help me out here, I'm lost,

LSP

Ride On?

 

Shadow LSP

Perhaps it's time to get back on the horse. I mean to say, there you are at the dear old Tolly in Calcutta and decide to go for a morning ride. So put on those burnished field boots, stroll over to the stables, swing into the saddle and... make a complete fool of yourself because you haven't actually ridden in a few years, four, to be precise.

The Tolly, I Think It's Time to Visit

All wrong. No, none of that. Instead you mount up and ride on into the dawn of a new Bengal day, moving from walk, to trot, to canter, to gallop, all seamlessly and in union with the horse itself. Man and beast at one. OK, so you have a warm up in the arena first to get to know the horse, but that's all good and your Syce suspends his inclination to scorn a new rider. Ride over, you fall back to the veranda for refreshments, the day is young.

Now you see where I'm going with this. If you want to go on a tour of the Clubs of the Old Raj, you'd better be able to ride. That in mind, the Lenten fast is moving me to call up the Senior Warden and ask, "I say, J, d'ye know someone who can sort me out for remedial lessons, English style?"

Me a Few Year's Back at J's Arena With The Youngest 

She'll say yes and we can go from there, maybe to a half lease, and even if the Tolly plan, magnificent in scope, doesn't work out it's still way better than a gym membership. So let's see how this equestrian plan pans out. In the meanwhile, here's J in the day:

Just Outstanding

What an athlete! Her husband was too, RIP, a world champ Bronc Rider and MC/Treasurer at Mission #2 to boot. But rodeo aside, I feel that it'd be good to get in the saddle again and actually learn the discipline. Or something like that.

Cheers,

LSP

Liturgical Dance Is So Very Very Awesome

Liturgical dance is so very, very awesome.

Maybe that's why it's inspired so many thousands to go to church. Then again, maybe it's the beautiful altar frontals, nylon vestments and felt applique banners that did the trick. Here's a moving video:

Beautiful, isn't it. In related news, Baron Jacob Rothscild's dead. He once posed for the camera along with America's celebrity art witch, Marina Abramovic. The painting's entitled, Satan Summoning His Legions.

Appropriate, don't you think?

Out demons out,

LSP

Filthy

Just look at this filthy little beast. Some people think, mistakenly, that they don't have to clean their lowly .22s. Then they wonder why the dam thing doesn't work.

 

Same goes for shotguns. Perhaps you've been on a shoot where someone's gun doesn't work because he couldn't be bothered to clean it. That in mind, I set to this morning.

Chop, chop, that SXS barrel isn't going to clean itself!

And the same applied to a couple of old pumps. Speaking of which, I like the Mossberg Ulti Mag, what a workhorse. Mind you, I might have to replace the extractors as they're getting on a bit. Not hard to do but a bit of pain.

So there you have it, all clean and ready to go unless a tragic boating accident gets in the way.

#2A,

LSP

Can't Lose What You Never Had

 

All hail Lord Allman,

LSP