If it was easy, everybody could do it

Remember after 9-11 when we began to find out all the bits and pieces of information that we had that should have made us aware that an attack was imminent?  It was only after we had the 9-11 hearings that we connected all the dots.  Of course we did.  Monday morning quarterbacking is always so easy.  Truth is, we are a REACTIONARY society.  Something happens, we react to it.  Seldom can we predict the who / what / when / where of a future event.

What we learned is that our intelligence gatherers were "siloed", meaning each had considerable information, but they couldn't share it with anyone outside their own cylindrical silo.  The FBI couldn't share with the CIA because the CIA was forbidden from investigating Americans, and the CIA couldn't talk to the FBI because the FBI could only do internal investigations.  And Customs had their rules, as did ATF, and the FAA, etc.  The debrief determined that we needed a central clearinghouse where a small group could see ALL the info collected by ALL the intelligence gatherers and hopefully connect the dots the next time before the dots exploded.

I think that's where we are now concerning gun violence in America.  Local police were called out to the Florida school shooter's house many, many times, but this info never made it to the FBI.  Likewise the shooter's mental health was reviewed and it was determined that he was depressed, but not dangerous.  Tips to the FBI in one state were never transmitted to the FBI in Florida, nor to the local police there.  None of this was passed on to the NICS database (the firearms background check system that OK's gun purchasers).  On and on.  The same thing happened regarding the Sandy Hook massacre, the Las Vegas shooting, and the San Bernadino shooting. The signals were all there, but there was no place, no one who could connect all the dots.

That's a problem in our current Information Age.  We have the ability to eavesdrop on conversations on the other side of the world, and we do, but then the question is what to DO with all the information we've collected? 

Then we have the issue of "individual liberties" guaranteed us by our Constitution.  It's not illegal to be a little wacko.  It's not illegal to own a gun, or many guns.  A welfare check by the cops isn't grounds to arrest anyone, nor to involuntarily commit anyone for mental evaluation.  It's only AFTER a wacko gun owner flips out and kills that authorities can DO anything.  We should change that, you say?  Great....except where is that thin line that keeps over zealous authorities from becoming self-proclaimed judges and juries, too?

My point is, while looking at gun proliferation, and at violence on TV and in video games, and at over-stressed single parents, and at under-manned police departments and over-burdened courts, and the untreated mentally ill, etc are all important, wrapping up all those factors into a single actionable, legal, authorization to DO something is going to be darn near impossible.  Try to connect the dots, sure, but understand this is going to make the 9-11 mandate look like a simple childs game of cops and robbers. 

S

What to do?

I have a serious question for you, please.  I promise I'm not trying to bait anyone, but just looking for some opinions and options:

Gun control advocates seem to be settling on an agenda of making background checks mandatory on ALL gun sales, banning the future sale of "assault rifles", and finding a way to identify and treat those with dangerous mental issues.  They say this would be a very good start to reducing gun violence, and that over the years and decades ahead we might move away from our current gun-centric society.

Taking this vision at face value, what are we going to do to protect our schools and churches and shopping malls, etc, RIGHT NOW?  

What if next Wednesday a mentally deranged person walked into a middle school in a normally peaceful Indiana community and started firing.  There is one School Resource (police) Officer on duty during school hours to protect 1,500 students spread out over a 3-building campus.  What could be done RIGHT THEN to stop another massacre?  Would it take another person with a gun to stop the shooter or are there other options?

Your thoughts and suggestions, please.

S

Asleep at the wheel

We now know for a fact that we're being played by Russia.  The special counsel has documented in detail how Russian agents have been active in the US since at least 2014.  For years they've used various means to sow discontent here.  They've used social media to foment unrest and divisiveness between the races....look at Ferguson and Baltimore and Charlottesville for examples.  At the same time, they've fired up both the "Build The Wall" movement and the "Save the Dreamers" movement.  They want to radicalize us.

In our recent election they were, behind-the-scenes, supporting both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, thinking they were both destined to fail.  They're no doubt right now actively stirring up the Gun Control movement, while telling the 2nd Amendment supporters they're about to lose their guns.  In all these examples they probably don't care who wins, so long as we're fighting among ourselves.

The same is happening in Europe.  I'm sure they were heartened by the UK's Brexit vote to leave the EU.  They've supported Marine Le Pen in France, and other nationalist movements elsewhere in Europe.  Their hope is to weaken the European Union with the ultimate goal of seeing it break apart.  Driving a wedge between the US and our European allies would just be icing on the cake for them.

To be polite, through all this President Trump has been asleep at the wheel.  The closest he's come to pointing a finger at what the Russians are doing is to say, "I think the Russians did it, BUT I ALSO THINK IT COULD HAVE BEEN CHINA, OR A 400 LB GUY SITTING ON HIS BED."  Not exactly a ringing endorsement of our intelligence community analysis, is it? 

To be less generous, you could say our President has been derelict in his sworn duty to protect us "from all enemies, foreign and domestic."  And make no mistake, RUSSIA IS OUR ENEMY.    Eight of the 10 men Vladimir Putin depends on to hold power are former KGB men, just like him.  We're solidly in the midst of Cold War 2.0.

It's crunch time, President Trump.  Our Congress has stepped up and voted overwhelmingly to punish Russia by imposing more sanctions.   (I can't believe I'm praising Congress!)  Now it's your turn.  If you don't act, if you don't aggressively implement Congress's will, I'm prepared to take the drastic step of labeling you a traitor.  

Yeah, that's pretty extreme.  Please don't make me say it.

S  

Que the scary music....

Special Counsel Robert Mueller today has indicted 13 Russian nationals for conspiring to interfere in US elections.  Based in a neighborhood in St Petersburg, Russia, a sophisticated LLC with hundreds of employees and millions of dollars....er....rubles to work with sent agents to America as early as 2014 to carry out various dirty tricks, aiming to undermine our election process.

Why was this much released, with this much detail, at this time?  To let the Russians know we knew?  Nope.  The Russians working here sent back word to HQ (which we intercepted) that "they had been discovered by the FBI and were busy covering their tracks."  The Russians already knew their cover had been blown.  The agents are all back in Russia now, and we're pursuing extradition "through normal channels."  *Don't hold your breath*

Did Mueller release it now to back down President Trump from considering firing him?  Possibly.  This blows the argument that this entire Russian investigation is just a witch hunt.  Mueller names names, gives dates and locations, and backs it all up with dozens of pages of details.  No, this is no witch hunt.

So then, why now?  Here's what my suspicious mind thinks:  As Mueller has a reputation for making plea deals with second and third tier participants in order to get them to squeal on higher ups, I'm thinking he's putting this out there now to increase pressure on others he has under the spotlight.  Tell me everything you know or I'll up that indictment to an even 14, or 16 or....  I think he's getting close to someone BIG.

The Deputy AG said the investigation was ongoing, and that the Americans involved were unwitting participants.  If that's 100% true, if we had the bad guys and exonerated the good guys, why is the investigation still ongoing?   Shouldn't it be Miller Time?  Hmmm...

Que the scary music....

S

It ain't rocket surgery, folks

The big question being asked this morning is "Why?"  Why would the Trump White House keep Rob Porter (the former WH Secretary) on the payroll when they'd known for months that he couldn't get security clearance and had a restraining order against him for spousal abuse?

It seems pretty clear to me....who could they get now to come on board and replace him?  People are fighting for a place on the lifeboat now to get OFF the Trumptanic, not ON it!  What experienced, respected pro or up-and-coming star in the public or private sector would want to get on board right as the deck chairs were sliding overboard?  Who would want to have on their resume "served in the Trump White House"?

Look at Trump's cabinet Secretaries.  Sec Def Mattis is by all accounts top shelf, and he's still there probably because he feels a sense of responsibility to his military brothers and sisters in uniform. Sec State Tillerson is probably still there because he knows he is the adult in the room most qualified to run around the world behind the Prez and clean up his messes.  The rest IMO are either worn out retreads or those who just like to see their name at the top of fancy stationary.

I can understand why many people were willing to hitch their wagon to Trump's horse during the campaign....they liked his agenda.  But now that they've seen how he operates up close and personal, I doubt they remain as motivated to serve him.  I think Trump's agenda could have been packaged and presented by someone far more palatable.

S

Gray Man lives

In my previous post I mentioned that I often carry a concealed firearm, which led to a comment that said I must go into some "rough neighborhoods" if I feel it necessary to carry a gun.  

Unfortunately violence and crime are no longer found only in "rough neighborhoods".  Nowadays even genteel suburban cities and towns are affected by violence, too.  I'm fortunate to be able to live in one of the most desirable areas of north Texas, yet here is what we've seen in recent years:

     *When I lived in The Shoppes at Legacy, a very upscale retail/entertainment/residential district, a woman there was kidnapped from a well lighted public parking garage and later murdered.

    *A person was murdered in the parking lot at Northpark mall, the most exclusive in Dallas.

     *A serial rapist was finally captured after he terrorized a well-to-do north Dallas neighborhood for many months.

     *A woman was recently murdered in the parking lot outside a Walgreens pharmacy in Frisco.

     *A friend of mine walked in to a restaurant to meet friends and found himself in the middle of an armed robbery of the manager.  My friend was shot, but survived.

     *I once went to pick up my wife at Love Field (the close-in Dallas airport), and as I pulled up curbside I heard on the radio to expect substantial police activity in the area.  It seems a robber had just killed the manager of a retail store and then ran out into the intersection outside and carjacked an innocent commuter.  He shot the driver (who survived) and escaped.  I had stopped at that same intersection 5 minutes earlier....that could have been me!

     *The daughter of one of my homeowners simply disappeared from near the University of North Texas campus years ago and has never been found.

     *Just last week a resident (or a visitor ?) at a very nice apartment complex in Richardson went nuts and killed one man, and then killed a cop when he responded to the call for help.  Other residents there were instructed to shelter in place until the situation was under control.

     *And let's not forget the growing problem of road rage, which can happen anywhere, to anybody.

These sorts of things don't happen daily or even weekly, but they do happen.  Violence doesn't happen to only those in less affluent neighborhoods.  In all my years I've never had to present my gun to thwart violence to myself or a loved one, nor have I ever been shot at by anyone.  Statistics say it's extremely unlikely I ever will be, either.  But I also know that if, heaven forbid, a violent situation ever confronts me and I need to call 911, it will take the police at least 5 minutes, and probably much longer, to arrive.  Until help arrives I simply want to be able to protect myself.  

There's nothing Wild West about carrying a gun.  A properly trained, vetted, licensed, and prepared armed citizen should be no threat to anyone, except maybe bad guys looking to harm them.

I'm not paranoid, running around looking for terrorists behind every rock and tree.  I'm not a vigilante.  Like everyone else I go to work, the grocery store, Home Depot, and sometimes out for dinner.  If you saw me you'd never know I had a gun on me, I'm that discreet.  My daily routine is no different than yours.  I just happen to have one more bit of insurance than most other people.  :)

S

Every Day Carry

I've never thought much about what I carry with me every day.  I just load my pockets and go.  Now I've found out there is an entire genre of websites built around "EDC", or Every Day Carry.  Apparently some people don't just load their pockets, they pack luggage:

I'm pretty sure somewhere in there this guy has a kitchen sink.

I've always subscribed to the old adage, probably military in origin, that says, "Travel light and freeze at night."  I doubt I'll ever need to drag around a case of MRE's or a dome tent, so I've pared down what I carry on me to this:

Depending on the season and what clothes I can wear (shorts and t-shirt vs jeans and a jacket) I'll often carry, where legally allowed, a small pistol, either in a waist holster (shown) or a pocket holster.  Since I was a kid I've carried a pocket knife, and now a car FOB and an apartment key, an iPhone 6, a nylon (?) wallet from REI (that has lasted 10 years with zero sign of wear), and a Casio watch.  Not shown are a Medic Alert bracelet and a wedding ring.  That's it.  My glasses are the kind that darken when outdoors, so I don't even need sunglasses anymore.

In my car I keep a small bag containing a sheath knife, a glass breaker/seatbelt cutter, a screwdriver with various tips, a Gerber multi-tool (small saw, blade, file), a couple of spare carabiners, a phone charger, a space blanket, and in a second compartment underneath, a pair of Mechanix gloves and small first aid kit.  I can usually find a spare bottle of water somewhere, a koozie, and a few towels in my car, too. 

And finally, as I usually spend an inordinate amount of time waiting for every thing *agony* I carry an iPad mini and some wireless headphones.  I'll usually read news (BBC, The Guardian, AP News, CNN, The Economist), listen to podcasts (I like Ted Talks, Planet Money, The Indicator, American History Tellers), and read Kindle books (currently Directorate S: The CIA and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Steve Coll).  Rarely fiction, and not much music, either.

I suppose, except for an absolutely apocalyptic event, I have what I need.  So how about you?  What do you carry daily with you?

S

EDIT:  In the back of my car I have a plastic box with a small tire compressor, jumper cables, and other assorted car/road emergency equipment.

The no-spin, honest-to-goodness $64,000 question:

Then-businessman Donald Trump with Russian oligarch (and close Putin ally) Aras Agalarov (R) and his son, Emin (L).  Sberbank is a state-owned bank and the largest in Russia, and Crocus is Agalarov's real estate development company.

~~~~~~~~~~

Do the Russians have compromising information on Donald Trump, either through his past business dealings with Russian oligarchs, or through election collusion, enough to blackmail him?  Have the Russians entrapped President Donald Trump?

THAT is what the Mueller Trump/Russia investigation is about.  Period.  Hillary's emails and DNC rigging against Bernie Sanders, etc, are legitimate questions that can be addressed in some other venue.

President Trump thinks the investigation is an effort to deprive him of his legitimate election.  Republicans think it's an effort to remove him from office, which they oppose as they think he's a political novice they can manipulate.  Democrats want to discredit Trump/Republicans so they can regain power for themselves.  They all have their own near-sighted selfish agendas....and they've all missed the point.

Even White House Counsel Don McGahn missed the blackmail point at first.  He once asked the Acting Attorney General why the FBI cared if one administration official (National Security Director Mike Flynn) lied to another (VP Mike Pence)?  She had to explain to him that Flynn had publicly stated he hadn't discussed sanctions with Russians (a really big deal) when the FBI had proof he had.  And of course the Russians knew he had, too.  

At any time of the Russian's choosing they could have blackmailed Flynn, threatening to unmask him as the Benedict Arnold of the 21st Century if he didn't cooperate and give them what they wanted.  RUSSIA WOULD THEN HAVE A SPY IN THE INNER CIRCLE OF THE WHITE HOUSE!

The exact same thing could happen with President Trump.  The Russians have their eyes on all high-profile Americans who visit Russia and/or do business with Russians.  They've been watching Trump for decades.  Russian oligarchs, all friendly with Vladimir Putin, have done business with him.  Trump has been used, perhaps unwittingly, perhaps not, to launder their money.  They've financed some of his hundreds of business ventures, primarily run through suspect Cypriot and German banks.  Now all of a sudden he just might become the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!  HOLY CRAP!  The incentive was surely there for Russia to want to see him elected, hence entrapping collusion.

Everything else is just a smoke screen.  The ONLY thing that matters is to find out once and for all if President Donald Trump is subject to being blackmailed.

Our national security demands that we have a President who is beyond ever being cornered in a compromising position. Those amateurs who say Trump is or isn't susceptible are just thinking wishfully based on their own prejudices.   We need to know if President Trump passes muster.  This is why it's imperative for Robert Mueller to finish his investigation.

S

My Pinterest dump

Some things I've found that interest me....

Cool Cars 

Stairs

 

  

Girls and Guns

Guns 

Marshallers 

Rockies

 

Cool Jeeps 

Interesting

 

Dogs

 

Small Houses

 

 Scotland (my peeps!)

Sidewalk Cafes

 

Rugby

Everyone has an agenda

Our national attention span seems to last only few days at a time.  The media reports one thing, President Trump says another, and it's into the pit we go for another round of mud wrestling.  Then the next week we're on to something else.

Our most recent bout with dysfunction resolves around whether the FBI used the infamous Steele dossier (written by former British MI6 agent Christopher Steele) as the basis for obtaining a FISA court order allowing eavesdropping on the Trump campaign in 2016.  

Republicans say that Mr Steele was working for the opposition research firm Fusion GPS, which was in turn being paid by the Democratic National Committee, and that his dossier should therefore automatically be considered biased and invalid.  "No Steele dossier, no FISA court order, no FBI spying, case dismissed" they say.  The Democrats....wait for it....disagree!  *BIG shock*

Brief background:  The investigation by the opposition research firm Fusion GPS on Donald Trump was initially funded by a conservative political website, and was later picked up and funded by the Democrats after Trump emerged as the probable Republican nominee.  Fusion GPS contracted with Steele, asking him to use his foreign connections to investigate Trump.  Following Trump's election funding from the Democrats ceased, but Steele continued working on the report, with financing coming directly from Fusion GPS principal Glen Simpson. 

Lost in all this "yes he did...no he didn't" BS is this:  Is the information contained in the dossier true?  If the collection of 17 memos, aka "the dossier", written by Steele between June and December 2016 are accurate, then I personally don't care who paid for it.  I don't want Russia worming their way into our election system, and possibly into a position where they can blackmail a candidate they helped.   

We're not talking about a friendly Australia or Canada or even Spain here folks....but RUSSIA!  Russia is NOT our friend.  Vladimir Putin longs to see Russia elevated back to the level of power and prestige enjoyed by the old Soviet Union.  Contrary to popular myth, Russia in NOT a great  economic power today.  In fact, Russia's GDP is roughly equal to that of the state of California.  Their ace card, of course, is that they still possess a massive nuclear arsenal, and they are rapidly modernizing their conventional military forces as well.

Putin alone controls Russia.  The billionaire business oligarchs inside Russia operate with the approval and support of Vladimir Putin, and they in turn know that when Putin calls, they respond.  Nobody crosses him.  (The few that have tried have found themselves charged with "tax evasion" and locked up, or worse.)  Think of it as an old-school organized crime family.  Russia's objective is to weaken (mainly) the United States, NATO, and the European Union any way possible.  If the West bickers and fractures, Russia benefits.

This is a serious position we're in today.  Much is at stake.  Anyone who doesn't understand this and blindly tries to stymie Special Counsel Muller's investigation are potentially doing the United States great harm. Let Mueller do his job, and if there has been Russian collusion, say so and put away the guilty.  And if not, tell us that, too, and lets move on.

S