True Stuff Dept.: Unlikely headline of the week

Agent 3 sent this entry for Walt's True Stuff competition, True Headlines division. Seen today on the website of Hamilton, Ontario's CHCH-TV.

Must have been a slow news day in Hamilton! But the story gives the lie to the headline.

"The blaze at Hernder Estate Winery in St. Catharines over the weekend was so devastating that investigators say they will never know for sure how it was caused. The fire chief says the damage is in the $7 million dollar range, and the debris left behind doesn’t point to any definitive answers.... 

"St. Catharines fire chief Dave Upper says photos of the destruction were sent to the Ontario fire marshal but it was decided provincial investigators would not check it out themselves. Because the damage was so extensive, a cause will likely never be known for certain."

Memo to CHCH-TV from Ed.: My proofreading services are available for next to nothing, which would be more than what Walt pays me. Send your offer to the usual address.

VIDEO: Did Francis' consecration of Russia work?

Following the penitential service at Saint Peter's on the feast of Immaculate Conception, March 25th, Pope Francis performed an "act of entrustment and consecration'" of "all the people of the world, particularly Russia and Ukraine" to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Here is the video, so you can see for yourself what Francis actually did and, more important, said.

              

As Walt explained in "Notes and thoughts re Consecration of Russia & Ukraine" (WWW 16/3/22), this act of consecration was done in answer to a plea from the Catholic bishops of Ukraine that the request of Our Lady of Fatima be obeyed, by which means Russia would be converted and period of peace granted to the world.

Did it work? That is the question uppermost in the minds of traditional Catholics, particularly those who, like the late Father Nicholas Gruner, believed in the Message of Fatima and worked tirelessly for decades to make it known. 

A succession of post-Vatican II popes attempted a type of consecration, but not in the manner the Blessed Virgin requested. Did Francis, in his lengthy and convoluted prayer, say the right things, and did enough of the world's bishops join in spiritual union, to call down from Heaven the graces promised by Our Lady of Fatima?

So far, none of the commentators Walt follows has weighed in on the sufficiency of this latest act of consecration. To do so is difficult, because we really don't know exactly what is supposed to happen, and when. Certainly there has been no flash of heavenly light, no chorus of alleluias from the heavenly choir.

The Russian dictator has not fallen to his knees to beg forgiveness of God. Nor has he ordered his invading army to withdraw from Ukraine. He hasn't even agreed to a ceasefire. But it may be significant that, on the day of the Consecration, Western "military experts" reported signs that Putin had shifted his war aims to concentrate on only those parts of eastern Ukraine that he had claimed before the invasion began. Is that the start of a Russian retreat? Maybe.

There has been no startlingly positive result of the Consecration as yet, but nor has there has been any negative consequence. Mr Putin did not, so far as we know, fly into a towering rage and press the nuke button. Nor did the Orthodox churches, of whose wrath Vatican diplomats were terrified, hurl down anathemas on Francis and all who pray for the conversion of Russia.

In sum, not much has happened... yet.... But Heaven works in mysterious ways. God and His Blessed Mother will give us the peace and such other mercies and blessings as we deserve... in Their own good time.

Let us keep praying for a speedy resolution of the conflict in the Ukraine, for the restoration of peace and freedom to that troubled land, and for peace in the world geneerally. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!

VIDEO: Europeans see through Justin Trudeau

A couple of days ago, the Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, by the Grace of Singh, Prime Minister of All Canuckistan, descended from the heavens [from an aging RCAF B767 actually. Ed.] to cast before the European parliament a few pearls anent the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In a particularly fulsome pastiche of pusillanimous platitudes, Mr Socks called on the Euroweenies to stand together, stay strong, and fight valiantly to preserve liberal democracy... just as he had done the previous month when he bravely stood up to the truckers and other harborers of "unacceptable views" who besieged the world's second-coldest capital in the Freedom Convoy.

The European Union Parliament comprises 705 elected members (MEPs) from the 27 EU member states. About 1/10th of them were on hand to hear M Trudeau congratulate himself. When he finished, a number of MEPs gave him what the Brits call a bollocking for violating the truckers' civil rights -- particularly freedom of speech -- when his Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in history.

The gist of their remarks is that, in giving police and other authorities extraordinary powers to disrupt the  peoples' protest, Prime Minister McBlackface behaved like a dictator. Here are some choice clips.

   

The CBC, Canada's state-owned broadcaster, had to report the story, since some of those video clips went viral in seconds, but they made sure to bury it "below the fold", as we say in the noozbiz. And they were careful to label the MEPs who dared to vilify Himself as far-right extremists, populists, and other pejoratives up to and including "neo-Nazi".

Croatian MEP Mislav Kolakušić described the Canuck PM as someone who "tramples" on fundamental human rights and freedoms. Canada once stood for civil rights, he said, but now seems more like a "dictatorship of the worst kind."

"Under your quasi-liberal boot in recent months," he went on, "we watched how you trample women with horses, how you block the bank accounts of single parents so that they can't even pay their children's education and medicine, that they can't pay utilities, mortgages for their homes." 

The CBC devoted more space to demonizing Mr Kolakušić than to his speech. "He has aligned himself with anti-vaccine voices inside and outside of the assembly," said the propagandists. And can you imagine, "Kolakušić had accused French President Emmanuel Macron of 'murdering citizens' though vaccine mandates and...claimed 'tens of thousands of' Europeans had died from vaccine side effects during the pandemic." As if we should believe such claims are ridiculous!

German MEP Christine Anderson, speaking for the Identity and Democracy parliamentary group (see below) through her party Alternativ für Deutschland (AfD), accused M Trudeau of civil rights violations during the Freedom Convoy protest, saying, "you are a disgrace for any democracy!" 

She minced no words, calling Mr Socks a dictator who treats citizens as "terrorists." Another AfD MEP, Bernhard Zimniok, accused Trudeau of "trampling on democratic rights" by cracking down on people for protesting "disproportionate" public health measures.  

The CBC's "report" says Alternativ für Deutschland has been "described by the BBC as a far-right political party that employs rhetoric 'tinged with Nazi overtones'." Aha, there's the "neo-Nazi" smear, but it the BBC that said it, so it must be true! 

But the CBC can't resist adding a bit more salt: "A German court ruled recently that the party is 'a suspected threat to democracy' after an administrative court in Cologne found that there are 'sufficient indications of anti-constitutional goals within the AfD.'" Sounds like M Trudeau's claim that the Freedom Convoy supporters were intent on overthrowing his government, doesn't it?

The CBC then makes sure we know what kind of evil populists the members of the ID (Identity and Democracy) group are. "With 63 members from 10 countries, it is the fifth-largest group in the assembly. Identity and Democracy is made up of domestic political parties opposed to the EU. They hold far-right positions on issues like immigration, EU membership and social welfare."

Convinced now? If not, just wait, there's more liberal labelling! "The ID group includes France's Rassemblement National party, which was founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen." How about that?!

I confess that until today I hadn't heard of the ID group. It seems there are more truly conservative, truly populist politicians in the European parliament than in that of Canada, or the American Congress. But just wait. The tide is turning. Mr Socks knows it. So does President Brandon. Stay tuned!

Pray for the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

VIDEO: Go fly a kite!

No, this is not a message to President Brandon. If it were, much stronger language would have been used. It's just a nice example of creativity. And a nice break from posts about politics and religion.

   

Many thanks to Agent 6 for sharing this.

Ukraine announces new commemorative postage stamp

The government of the free and independent Ukraine has issued a new postage stamp commemorating the Snake Island Standoff, reported on WWW on February 25th. 

As an avid philatelist, Walt is looking forward to receiving a copy, along with a first day cover, possibly postmarked Mariupol.

Слава Україні! Героям слава!

Walt takes off his шапка to Agent 34 for the link. 

Poor Len Canayen analyses the remaining Canadiens

The NHL trade deadline has come and gone. In the last month the Montréal Canadiens have traded away six players, including four who were with last season's Stanley Cup finalists. Here with the whys and wherefores is our National Sports (As Long As It's Hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen.

Tank youse, Hed, for taking my lede. Now I can cut right to da chase. Les not-so-Glorieux were sellers in this March's madness because, looking up from the NHL's sub-basement (last place), new GM Kent Hughes didn't have much choice. No point in buying/renting new guys in a desperate bid to make the playoffs, because it simply cannot be.

Here's what's happened since my last report on the hapless Habs. The most important change, by far, was the replacement of head coach Dominic Ducharme with Martin St. Louis, who starred for many years with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and who I always thought would look great in the bleu-blanc-et-rouge.

Some were critical of that move, but the perpetual whiners (Hello, Kelly of the Gazoo!) have been proven wrong, wrong, wrong! Under St. Louis' tutelage the team has had a near-miraculous turnaround, and are actually have a winning pct now. And even when they lose in overtime, as they did against Boston last night, the games are entertaining, at last. The guys look like they're having fun now! Olé, olé, olé!

So that's good! Now let's see who coach St. Louis has to work with. Here's my rundown on who left and who's left.

Goal: The Habs have dressed five goaltenders so far this season, and if Carey Price is able to get into a game before the end, that'll be six. Andrew "the Hamburgler" Hammond, signed during the panic when Jake Allen got injured, played in one game, which he won. He's gone now. So is AHL goalie Michael McNiven, who played just one period. That leaves Price, Allen, Samuel Montembeault, and, down in Laval, Cayden Primeau. 

Primeau needs to stay in the AHL at least another season. Truth be told, he may never make it in the NHL. Montembeault was thrown in at the deep end this year. Sometimes he swam, and sometimes he sank. He'd be happy, I'm sure, to play in Laval most of the time. For the rest of this year, Jake Allen clearly deserves to be the No. 1 goalie. He was sensational last night -- the old pro with a save pct .935 in "just another day at the orifice". Next year, he and a healthy Price (we hope) are a natural 1A and 1B.

Defence: With Shea Weber out for the season (and unlikely ever to play again), and Joel Edmundson on the IR until last week, Habs needed all the help they could get on defence. Ben Chiarot stepped up to become the top D-man, with Brett Kulak playing with more discipline and effectiveness. They were both traded away this week. 

The top defence pair is now Edmundson and Jeff Petry. I have always liked Petry but he hasn't had a good season. Apparently he didn't get along with coach Ducharme, but a lack of on-ice communication with teammates seems to be a problem. He would like a move to the other side of the border (his hometown is Détroit) and will likely get it in the summer. 

The other four defencemen on the ice last night were Alexandre Romanov, David Savard, Corey Schueneman and Chris Wideman. Romanov's play has improved greatly this season, now that he's started to think. He has become the first really hard-hitting Habs D-man since Alexei Emelin. Schueneman, still technically a rookie, scored his first NHL goal last week and shows promise. Savard and Wideman were acquired as "expendables", surplus to the requirements of their former teams, and remain so, IMHO.

Forwards: Tyler Toffoli, one of last season's stars, didn't do so well this year. Again, his relationship with coach Ducharme may not have been so good. He was traded to Calgary a couple of weeks ago. Artturi Lehkonen, by contrast, was having a breakout year, but went to Colorado in a last-minute deal yesterday. The will both be missed.

The good news is that under coach St. Louis, the two kids of whom much was expected, Nik Suzuki and Cole Caufield, have turned into a dynamic duo. Joining them on the top line is veteran Josh Anderson, who doesn't score as often but always has a strong presence on the ice.

Paul Byron and Joel Armia, both of whom missed a lot of games through injury, have come on strong since their return. Rookie Michael Pezzetta brings a fighting spirit to the team and looks like a keeper. Another rookie with a good future is Rem Pitlick, a nice surprise.

So you've got seven guys there, the nucleus of a good offence for next year. I wouldn't count on Brendan Gallagher. Although he's still the heart and soul of the Habs, the wear and tear has finally caught up with him. The same can be said of Jonathon Drouin, who has missed a lot of time and seems almsst afraid to step onto the ice  

Ryan Poehling, the great hope of a couple of years ago, has been consistently disappointing. Jake Evans has speed and skill, but lacks toughness. AHL veteran Laurent Dauphin, who probably didn't expect to play much for the big team, tries hard but, to be honest, belongs in Laval, not Montréal. Mike Hoffman and Mathieu Perreault are two more "expendables" of whom not much was expected, and that's what they delivered -- not much.

Back to the good news, then. In return for the six dearly departed listed above, GM Kent Hughes got nobody you've ever heard of, but also several draft picks, for this year and next year and 2024. He's also freed up considerable cap space. So during the summer he can give away the expendables and shop around for a couple of defencemen and a couple of proven scorers. 

And who knows? The Habs might win the Shane Wright sweepstakes. This year's entry draft promises to be a deep one, and Montréal should come out of it with, if not Wright, at least two top prospects. Put it all together and the Canadiens should be serious contenders for next year's playoffs. Lifetime pct .979.

VIDEO: MH370 - Time for one last search?

It's now been 8 years and 2 weeks since Malaysia Airlines flight 370 (MH370) went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean, during a flight which was supposed to have gone from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. I have been following this story since Day One, and have always maintained that there's more to it than what the "authorities" are willing to tell us. Click here to see the complete list of our posts on this topic.

The mystery of what happened to MH370 is such that it has become one of the most controversial hull losses in the history of aviation. There are many theories, including conspiracy theories. My own theory -- call it crazy if you like -- is that there was some kind of interaction with a military airplane or missile coming from the American military base at Diego Garcia.

The prevailing theory  -- the party line, if you will -- is that MH370 was deliberately flown into the sea by the pilot, in an act of murder-suicide. The "authorities" searched in an area (shown on the map included in my post) which they say is where the wreckage should be, based on their theory and on radar/Inmarsat tracking.

Curiously, while there search has turned up absolutely nothing, debris from the lost airliner keeps washing up far to the west of the area in which they've been searching, along the shores of Madagascar and South Africa, closer to Diego Garcia than to the west coast of Australia, which is where the search was conducted.

A professor of oceanography who appears in this video from Sky News Australia, predicted before the debris was found, that it would turn up where it did. But he was never invited to be part of the search team. In this video, he and other aviation experts debunk the official story, and raise the possibility that searching in the wrong place is part of a cover-up. 

Since this video was made as a TV special, it takes a while to get to the revelation of the exact location which the experts think should be searched. I won't be the guy who spoils it for you.  

  

If the "authorities" really want to find MH370's black boxes, in order to learn what really happened, they have been told yet again where to look. Walt would be happy to see them do so, even if it turns out my theory was wrong. But I won't hold my breath.

Canuck pols rush to condemn attack on Toronto-area mosque

Canada's state propaganda agency ["broadcaster", shurely! Ed.] was quick to post a lengthy tut-tut when Statistics Canada reported recently that the number of hate crimes reported to police across Canuckistan went up 37% in the first year of the Covid "crisis" compared with the previous year. 

Police-reported hate crimes targeting race or ethnicity rose 80% in 2020 compared with 2019. Of course, the CBC opines, the real numbers much be must higher. since such crimes are horribly under-reported. Besides, it is well known that white Canadians are incorrigible racists.

Statscan says reported hate crimes targeting East or Southeast Asian people went up 301%, those targeting black people went up 92%, those against Indigenous people went up 152%; and those against South Asian people went up 47%. 

Statistics on hate crimes categorized by religion were not given, but incidents of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic crimes, such as the spray-painting of hateful graffiti on schools and "places of worship", have been much in the news lately, especially in the "Greater" Toronto Area.

The latest such incident occurred Saturday morning in the GTA bedroom community of Mississauga ON, when a man walked into a mosque and attacked worshippers with a hatchet and, errr, bear spray.

Speaking on behalf of the mosque, Nadia Hasan of the National Council of Canadian Muslims said a group of about 20 men were in the middle of a dawn prayer when the attack happened."Some of the men turned around and they very bravely decided that they were not going to let him attack them," she said, "so they tackled him to the ground and apprehended him until the police showed up."

Inspector Knacker of the Peel Regional Police said some congregants at the mosque received minor injuries from the bear spray. People were shaken up but are recovering, Ms Hasan said, "but for the most part, folks are still processing what’s happened and are trying to kind of see how they can ensure that their communities remain secure."

Canadian politicians of all parties, from all levels, were quick to signal their tolerance and virtue on Twitter. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his "heart goes out to the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre community who were attacked this morning. There is NO place in our province for such evil and hateful acts. We must ensure those responsible are brought to justice."

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said she was "shocked and angered" by the assault. "This unprovoked attack on a place of worship is absolutely unacceptable and I strongly condemn it." The leader of Ontario's far-left "New" Democratic Party, Andrea Horwath, said "in response to an evil, violent act of Islamophobic hate, the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre community acted courageously to keep folks safe. We all stand with them."

Ontario Liberal leader Steven Del Duca said she was "appalled by this frightening attack in Mississauga." Then, quick to score a political point, he tweeted, "This is why @nccm’s #OurLondonFamilyAct to take meaningful action against Islamophobia is so important. Ontario Liberals continue to stand with the Muslim community against all acts of hate." 

Toronto Mayor Jello Tory said he was "shocked to hear about the violent attack" on the congregants of the mosque. :We stand with the Muslim community in Mississauga, Toronto and across Canada in the wake of this assault." He said any violence against the Muslim community or any community in a place of worship is "totally unacceptable. Our work to make sure everyone can pray in peace without fear, threats or violence must continue."

It should be noted that all these pols are all white, native-born Canadians, who, if not practising Christians, are not members of other "faith communities". The same may be said of Canuckistan's Prime Minister, Just In Trudeau, if you look underneath the blackface makeup. 

Mr Socks was one of the first to raise the flag of virtue, calling the attack "incredibly disturbing. I strongly condemn this violence — which has no place in Canada — and I'm keeping the community in my thoughts today," he tweeted. "I also want to applaud the courage of those who were there this morning."

Imagine his embarrassment, and that of all those who assumed that the attacker was a whitey, like those responsible for attacks on Muslims in Québec City and New Zealand, when the cops announced late yesterday that the perp was 24-year-old Mohammad Moiz Omar. 

He has been charged with assault with a weapon, administering a noxious substance with intent to endanger life or cause bodily harm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, uttering a threat to cause death or bodily harm, carrying a concealed weapon, and mischief to religious property. Apparently no "hate crime" charges have been laid. 

Mr Omar's ethicity and immigration status have not been disclosed, but it can safely be assumed he is a follower of the Prophet whose name he bears. The question is: what kind of Muslim is he? Is he Shia or Shiite or a member of some other branch of the "religion of peace"? 

From here it looks like the Muslim civil wars, still raging in the Middle East, have been brought to Canada by some of the "refugees" the politicians welcomed with open arms. Is anyone surprised?

Dealing with a real crisis? House Dems pass CROWN Act

America today confronts a number of extremely serious crises: Russia's invasion of Ukraine, record inflation, and mass immigration of "undocumented persons", to name just three. Citizens should be thankful and joyful, then, that the Democratic members of the House of Representative, led by Crazy Nancy Pelosi,  today voted to pass H.R. 2116, the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act of 2021 (CROWN) Act of 2021.

What's that all about? What does it do? The legislation (if it makes it through the Senate) would prohibit alleged discrimination on a person's hair texture or hairstyle that is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin. Wut? They talkin' black hair, bro -- like the fox in the picsha.

The Dove company -- makers of soap, shampoo, deodorants, and other skin and hair care products -- claimed in their 2019 CROWN Research Study that a black woman is 80% more likely to change her natural hair to meet social norms or expectations at work. And black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home (or know of a black woman who was sent home) from the workplace because of her hair.

Obviously (the Dove people said) something had to be done. Never mind that federal law already prohibits disparate treatment of one individual compared to another based on race, colour, or national origin, which includes grooming and appearance policies if applied in a discriminatory manner.

The CROWN Act, House Republicans argued, is therefore unnecessary and duplicative. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jim Jordan (R-OH) said on the House floor ahead of the vote that Americans already cannot be discriminated against because of their hairstyles, and that Congress should focus on pressing issues such as inflation, Russia, and rising gas prices.

Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) said the CROWN Act may prevent employers from regulating hairstyles for safety purposes. Walt wonders what could be "unsafe" about the hairstyle pictured, unless the wearer worked with machinery in which her `fro could get entangled. Or around open flames, like in a BBQ restaurant kitchen.

Mr Bishop said America truly needs a bill to "unleash American energy independence." He also emphasized that in 2020, homicides rose by 30 percent or more, with black on black killings being the most common. Nevertheless, the legislation, which had failed under suspension of the rules on February 28th, passed by a vote of 235-189. Your Congress at work! 

Footnote: Walt wonders if the Dove company considered the law of unintended consequences. If black women can no longer be required by employers to keep their hair clean and tidy... if hairstyles life Afros and Rasta braids are allowed... what will that do the sales of Dove products? Just askin'....

Democrats prevailed,  

Pope Francis "intends to invite" bishops to join in Consecration

Late yesterday, Matt Gaspers of Catholic Family News reported that a reliable source close to the hierarchy has confirmed that Pope Francis intends to invite -- not command, but invite -- the world's bishops to join him in the Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, planned for Friday, March 25th.

Mr Gaspers concludes his post with these words: While this "invitation" from Pope Francis to the bishops is obviously not the same as an "order", which is what Our Lady specified, it is nonetheless a positive sign. Let us keep praying and fasting for the consecration to be done according to Heaven's specific conditions!

It seems likely that many, if not all, of the bishops will accept the invitation. Traditional bishops will do so because they believe in the Message of Fatima. More liberal bishops will do so to show solidarity with Francis. The bishop of the diocese in which Walt resides has already accepted the invitation and circulated, through the diocesan pastors, the following message: 

Dear parishioners and friends of peace: [Our bishop] will be joining the Holy Father, Pope Francis, in the consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the solemnity of the feast of the Annunciation of Mary, March 25, 2022. It will be offered at the end of the respect for life Mass at 7:00 pm at the Cathedral. In preparation for the consecration, [our bishop] is inviting us to join in a Novena that will prayed with the Catholic Bishops of Ukraine in union with Pope Francis. Please offer the following prayer, which began on the feast of St Patrick. 

God of реасе and justice, 

we pray for the реорlе of Ukraine today. 

We pray for реaсе and the laying down of weapons.

We pray for аll those who fear for tomorrow, that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them.

We pray for those with power over war or реасе, for wisdom, discernment and compassion to guide their decisions.

Above аll, we pray for аll your precious children, at-risk and in fear, that you would hold and protect them.

We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Реасе. 

Amen.

Further viewing: "Did Fatima priest Fr. Gruner predict Francis' consecration of Russia?" on the John-Henry Westen Show, 18/3/22. And please note, you can buy Fatima Priest, the (partial) biography of Father Gruner, on our sponsor's Webstore. Tell `em Walt sent ya!

VIDEO: The Consecration of Russia will be TOO LATE (Taylor Marshall)

I can't help but return to the discussion of the Church's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and whether the consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary will have the effect of bringing an end to the conflict and a period of peace to the world, as Our Lady of Fatima promised.

So many of us who believe in the Fatima Message, and have worked to make it known and obeyed, are hoping and praying that Pope Francis will do the Consecration in the manner requested by the Blessed Virgin. See "Notes and thoughts re Consecration of Russia & Ukraine", WWW 16/3/22.

But will he? Dr Taylor Marshall, whose podcasts we have featured many time on WWW, doubts it. And if Francis fails to do it right, will his act be to any avail? Dr Marshall answers these questions in his podcast of March 16th, "Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine (Will it Work?)".

In case you don't have 3/4 of an hour to watch that podcast, Dr Marshall posted this short clip, with the key takeaway. The Consecration (by Pope Francis) will be too late, but still the Immaculate Heart of Mary will save Russia and Ukraine. Listen.

 

Dr Taylor repeats what he wrote at pages 100ff of his book, Infiltration: The Plot to Destroy the Church from Within, which I commend to you. There have already been five or six consecrations, and none of them have worked as hoped, because none of them were done validly, according to the request of Our Lady of Fatima. 

Does that mean that Pope Francis shouldn't try again? Certainly not! And even if this new consecration is flawed -- through not using the right words (the Consecration Prayer of Pope Pius XII), or not being made in union with the world's bishops -- graces will certainly flow from it. So let us pray. Amen.

VIDEO: Tucker Carlson: Is it "treasonous" to not want to go to war?

So far this week, we've been looking at the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine through the lens of the Message of Fatima -- the request of God through the Blesssed Virgin Mary that Russia be consecrated to Her Immaculate Heart, by which means the annihilation of nations (not just Ukraine) will be averted and a period of peace given to us.

We therefore hope and pray (a novena starts today!) that Pope Francis will perform the Act of Consescration, in union with all the bishops, in the manner that Our Lady requested. But the news that Francis will at last attempt the Consecration has been largely ignored by the lamestream media, not to mention politicians like Crazy Joe Biden, Crazy Nancy Pelosi and Blackie McBlackface, Prime Minister of Canuckistan. 

Like the majority of Americans and Canadians, these liberals who call themselves "Catholics" while advocating for abortion "rights" and other evils, either know nothing about Fatima or do not believe in the Fatima Message. 

So today let's look at the invasion of Ukraine from a purely secular point of view. Let's hear the arguments of people like Tucker Carlson, that starting a potentially nuclear World War III over the status of Ukraine would be foolish in the extreme, and a dissservice not just to the Ukrainian people but to all the nations of the West.

In his latest talk from the Remnant Underground, Michael Matt wondered aloud how much longer Fox News will be able to keep Tucker Carlson on the air, given that he (Carlson) refuses to jump on the let's-nuke-the-Russkis war wagon. 

Mr Carlson is being pilloried by such warhawks as Lindsey Graham and the inevitable Mitt Romney for daring to suggest that the Russian invasion of the Ukraine is totally black-and-white -- Ukraine good, Russia bad -- so if Putin wants war, let's have at it.

They call Mr Carlson, and others like Michael Matt and Dr Ron Paul, unpatriotic, even "treasonous", for urging the powers that be to take a step back and consider whether it's really a smart move to involve the USA (and the lesser NATO countries) in another pointless and unwinnable war. Listen carefully to Mr Carlson's comments, posted on March 14th, in which he gives his take on Ukrainian President Zelenskiy's latest suggestion for finding a way out.

 

Further reading: "Is Tulsi Gabbard a traitor?", by Daniel McAdams, Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, 15/3/22. 

Tucker Carlson, Tulsi Gabbard, and Michael Matt are not traitors or "Russian assets" as the harpies of The View would have it. Neither is Dr Ron Paul, who wrote in "It All Comes Back to NATO", (1/3/22) "When the Bush Administration announced in 2008 that Ukraine and Georgia would be eligible for NATO membership, I knew it was a terrible idea. Nearly two decades after the end of both the Warsaw Pact and the Cold War, expanding NATO made no sense. NATO itself made no sense."

Dr Paul goes on to say that NATO should be disbanded because it's no longer necessary or relevant to the geopolitics of the 2020s. Russia's invasion of Ukraine proves him right. To go to war for Ukraine's right to join a military alliance which (as President Trump pointed out) is dysfunctional and irrelevant  is just plain wrong. President Zelenskiy's suggestion that his country could perhaps remain neutral is not crazy at all.

More further reading: "The Press Has Lied To Drag The United States Into War Before. Don’t Think They Won’t Again" by Elle Reynolds, The Federalist, 17/3/22.

The writer recycles the story about William Randolph Hearst. In 1897, months before the Maine exploded in Havana harbour, the newspaper tycoon had commissioned reporter Frederic Remington to go to Cuba, where Cuban revolutionaries were skirmishing with their Spanish colonizers. When Remington sent Hearst a wire to explain he was leaving Cuba because there was no war to cover, Hearst reportedly replied, "You furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war!"

Walt, Poor Len [and Ed.! Ed.] wish all of yez...

and may the wind at yer back always be yer own!

And, lest we forget, the Ukrainians are not the only people who have had to fight long and hard for their freedom from an imperial oppressor. Walt recommends this movie most highly.

Sinn Féin Amháin!

VIDEO: Michael Matt's take on Russia's invasion of Ukraine

In this morning's post, I quoted an e-mail received from Michael Matt, editor of The Remnant newspaper, in which he comments on the Vatican's annouoncement that Pope Francis will, on March 25th, consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He wonders, as do Walt and many others, whether Francis will effect the Consecration in the manner requested by Our Lady of Fatima, so as to obtain the conversion of Russia aqnd bring the world a period of peace. 

A day before the Vatican's announcement, Mr Matt recorded "Crisis in Ukraine: What's Really Going On" - the latest episode of The Underground, posted on Remnant TV. Please listen carefully to the caveat at the beginning of this video. Mr Matt is not for Putin or Russia, nor is he against the Ukrainian people (although their government is another matter). What Mr Matt is against is the suicidal rush to start a war between Russia and the West! Listen up!

IMHO (and that of Dr Ron Paul and many others), we must not allow our liberal politicians and their lickspittle media to lead us into the trap set for us by the Soros-led globalist elites. The way to help the Ukrainian people is not by attacking the Russians and starting a nuclear* war. 

By all means do whatever you can to help Ukrainians resist the Russian invaders, and survive the humanitarian disaster now unfolding. But don't make things worse by waging war against Russia on Ukrainian soil. There's an African saying: when two elephants fight, the grass gets trampled.

If you love your country as much as the Ukrainians love theirs, pray for peace. And if, as we believe, the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary can bring that sbout, pray that Pope Francis does it, and does it in the manner the Blessed Virgin Mary requested. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!

* Footnote: I don't like to be that guy [Go on! You love it! Ed.] but can the USA's ambassador to the United Nations not learn how to pronounce "nuclear" correctly? It's not "nu-cu-ler", the way Homer Simpson says it, but "nu-cle-ar". Clear?

Notes and thoughts re Consecration of Russia & Ukraine

The mojo wire has been humming since we posted "At last???!!!! Pope Francis to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as requested by Our Lady of Fatima", yesterday afternoon. Although the lamestream media, dominated by secular humanists who know next to nothing of Christianity, Catholicism and the Fatima apparitions, have ignored this story, the  Consecration is an event that has been awaited and prayed for for 105 yeares. Attention must be paid!

An assiduous reader wonders why Pope Francis intends to consecrate "both Russia and Ukraine" to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. "Didn't Our Lady of Fatima request just the consecration of Russia?"

The short answer is that when the Blessed Virgin appeared to the three seers in 1917, the Bolshevik revolution had not yet taken place, and Ukraine was still a part of the Russian empire. An independent republic was proclaimed in 1918, but died aborning. By the time Sister Lucia saw Our Lady again in 1929 (see below), Ukraine had been part of the USSR for a decade. So, the "Russia" in Our Lady's message included Ukraine.

Walt has received an email from Michael Matt, editor of The Remnant newspaper, whose videos we often repost here. Mr Matt writes:

While I am relieved that he’s not consecrating Russia and Ukraine to Pachamama, I nevertheless do have one question: No matter where you come down on the Crisis in Ukraine, can you think of a more perfect opportunity than this for the Pope, united with all his bishops, to finally and at long last consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary? 

It would be so easy to finally do it right. Why now? Well, perhaps a better question is: Why not now? The eyes (and the wrath) of the world are focused on Russia. The consecration would not upset any of the Vatican's precious "dialogue partners". 

Even the world's hapless bishops would go along with it this time since their partners in media and government would certainly have no problem with it. Why not? Well, Russia, Russia, RUSSIA! It's a win/win for everybody! So why not just do it right? It's as if the Vatican will do almost anything to not obey the Mother of God's very specific requests. 

Mr Matt is referring to the specifics of Our Lady's Apparition at Tuy (Spain) in 1929, in which She told Sister Lucia, "The moment has come in which God asks the Holy Father to make, in union with all the bishops of the world, the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means. So numerous are the souls which the justice of God condemns for sins committed against Me, that I come to ask for reparation. Sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray."

The emphasis is mine. Pope Francis has not commanded "all the bishops of the world" to join in his consecration. The Vatican has only said that "the same act, on the same day, will be carried out in Fatima by His Eminence Cardinal Krajewski, Apostolic Almoner, as envoy of the Holy Father."

The late Fr Nicholas Gruner, founder of the Fatima Center, once told one of Walt's agents that he (Father Gruner) thought the then pope (John Paul II) was afraid to order the bishops to join him when he did the flawed consecration of the world (not Russia, specifically) in 1984, for fear that not all the bishops would obey.

I do not wish to impute motives to Pope Francis, but there will be those who will suggest that the pope is stopping short of ordering all the bishops to join him, in case his consecration doesn't produce the desired result! He would then be able to say that he did the best he could, in the circumstances.

But let us not get ahead of ourselves. Let us be both faithful -- full of faith! -- and optimistic, confident in God's mercy and love for those who love Him. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!

We must all pray and contact our bishops, asking that they join in the Pope's consecration of Russia and so fulfil the request of Our Lady of Fatima. Walt recommends the novena started by LifeSite News, for Pope Francis to consecrate Russia as Our Lady asked.

At last???!!!! Pope Francis to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as requested by Our Lady of Fatima

To place what follows into context, and to emphasize why this story is so important, I ask you to read (if you haven't already done so) "Russia's war against Ukraine explained by Our Lady of Fatima", WWW 3/2/22.

We posted that the day after the Latin Rite Catholic bishops of Ukraine sent an urgent appeal to Pope Francis, asking him to consecrate Russia and Ukraine "as requested by the Blessed Virgin in Fatima", to bring an end to Russia's war against Ukraine and grant us the period of peace promised by Our Lady.

Here, as reported today by LifeSite News, is the text of the bishops' letter. 

Holy Father! In these hours of immeasurable pain and terrible ordeal for our people, we, the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Ukraine, are spokesmen for the unceasing and heartfelt prayer, supported by our priests and consecrated persons, which comes to us from all Christian people that Your Holiness will consecrate our Motherland and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

Responding to this prayer, we humbly ask Your Holiness to publicly perform the act of consecration to the Sacred Immaculate Heart of Mary of Ukraine and Russia, as requested by the Blessed Virgin in Fatima. May the Mother of God, Queen of Peace, accept our prayer: Regina pacis, ora pro nobis!

I confess to being one of those who have written and spoken ill of Pope Bergoglio, to the point of expressing doubt about whether he is really the pope, the Vicar of Christ. It was my guess that Francis, like all the post-Vatican II popes, would stop short of doing the Consecration of Russia in the manner Our Lady requested in 1917 and again in a private revelation to Sister Lucia in 1929.

Some Catholics have contended that the Consecration has taken place. They refer to an "entrustment consecration" of the world [sic] to the Immaculate Heart of Mary made by Pope John Paul II on 25 March 1984. Sadly, since the Vatican's "Ostpolitik" of those days said we must try to make peace with our Communist enemies, John Paul deliberately avoided mentioning Russia explicitly, "because the Vatican diplomats had urgently asked him not to mention this country because otherwise political conflicts might perhaps arise." 

The late Fr Gabriele Amorth, former chief exorcist of Rome, noted some time ago that the Consecration had not been performed as requested, saying "a specific consecration has not yet been made."

Now... perhaps... we hope and pray... Pope Francis is finally going to do it! In an announcement released today, Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office announced: On Friday 25 March, during the Celebration of Penance at which he will preside at 1700 in Saint Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The same act, on the same day, will be carried out in Fatima by His Eminence Cardinal Krajewski, Apostolic Almoner, as envoy of the Holy Father. 

No further details were provided. LifeSite News says "it remains to be seen if Pope Francis will make the consecration of Russia in union with the bishops of the world, as outlined by Our Lady in 1929."

In 1917, Our Lady of Fatima told three seers, "If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world."

Our Lady of Fatima repeated the request in 1929, when she appeared to Sister Lucia saying: "The moment has come for God to ask the Holy Father to make, in union with all the bishops of the world, the Consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart. By this means, He promises to save Russia."

Let us pray for... and with... Pope Francis, that he will at last do as Our Lady of Fatima asked, and in this way bring us peace to the world.

Nearly forgot

from Walt Whiteman, Poor Len Canayen [and Ed.! Ed.]

Collectible airliner postcards now featured on our sponsor's Webstore

Our dear sponsor, who slips us a fiver now and then so we can eat, is now featuring collectible airliner postcards on his webstore. Collecting these was a big deal in the late 20th century, when airlines used to hand them out as little gifts to passsengers, and airports and other collectibles stores had large displays of the large variety of airlines, aircraft and paint schemes seen around the world in those days. 

Here's a sample from our sponsor's new listings:

FLYING SIMPSONS Airliner Postcard - unused, excellent condition - ONLY $1

SPECIAL OFFER to introduce my huge collection of airliner postcards, all to be listed on this site within the next few weeks. 

"THE FLYING SIMPSONS", 6" X 4" postcard, published in Czech Republic, showing Western Pacific Airlines B737-3K9, at LAX 5/96. Unused, clean and fresh, excellent condition. Very collectible. ONLY $1 plus S&H! 

How can ya lose? Tell `em Walt sent ya!

VIDEO: President Trump's speech to March 12th rally - FULL

Before you watch the video, let me give you the typical lickspittle media spin on whatever President Trump says. Yesterday, Yaho00 picked this up from CBS News and WAPO. The emphasis is mine. 

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday floated a horrifying scenario during a speech to some 250 elite Republican donors: He said the U.S. could bomb Russia with jets disguised with Chinese flags, then sit back and watch those nations go to war. 

Specifically, Trump said the U.S. could “put the Chinese flag” on F-22 fighter jets and use them to "bomb the shit out of Russia," according to a recording of his speech that was obtained by The Washington Post. "And then we say, China did it, we didn't do it, China did it, and then they start fighting with each other and we sit back and watch," Trump said. 

The audience laughed at the comment, which seemingly was made in jest, a source told CBS News. 

Did you catch that play? Even when they think the Donald might be joking, they are so shit-scared that he's serious that they report it as a shock-and-horror story! Either that or they are deliberately trying to fool gullible people into thinking that a vote for Trump is a vote for war. Makes me want to vomit!

Anyway, here's the complete video (just over an hour) of President Donald Trump's speech to another hyuge America First Republican rally in Florence SC, yesterday, March 12th.

 

I hope you noticed that, at about the 12:30 mark, President Trump did say something about the lamestream line that his personality would get America into a war. Russia (he said) didn't attack anybody while he was president, because of his personality, because they knew America was strong again. 

Now, under the leadership of an Alzheimer's patient and a whore (see Walt's previous post), here we are, waiting for the balloon to go up.

America is now just months away from the 2022 mid-term elections. Circle the date on your calendar, and vote to Make America Great Again!

Kamela Harris explains everything

Ed. here. We're sorely tempted to scrape the entire article from the Babylon Bee (surprised?) but will just point you in the right direction.

Click here to read "Kamala Harris Explains", posted on BB 10/3/22. Here's the intro:

We recently spoke to Kamala Harris, and she agreed to explain complex concepts to our readers. Now, you can learn about everything from Bitcoin to Batman in terms even you can understand. 

Thanks, Kam— 

KAMALA: I'm SPEAKING. 

Oh. Sorry, Madame Vice President. Anyway, here are her explanations: 

 If you subscribe to BB, tell `em Walt sent ya!

VIDEO: Incredible! Detroit goalie scores one for the other guys

Ed. here. I thought we were done for the day, maybe for the weekend, but our National Sports Editor (As Long As It's Hockey), Poor Len Canayen, just sent us this clip from Thursday night's encounter between the Minnesota Wild and the Detroit Red Wings. The game was tied 1-1, and then this happened.

 

It was a terrible night for Alex Nedeljkovic. That remarkable own goal put the Wild things ahead 2-1, but the Wings fought back and at the end of regulation time the score was tied, 5-up. So also at the end of the 5-minute overtime. So it went to a shootout, and... you guessed it. Final score, 6-5 Minnesota.

Poor Len will be along one of these daze with a report on how new coach Martin St Louis has turned the Montréal Canadiens into a team that's in danger of losing the Shane Wright sweepstakes.

Random thoughts, and a Wally-winning VIDEO

Things have been pretty intense for the last month or so. I think you, dear readers, deserve a break. Me too. So here are a couple of items from the slushpile, and a video that will make any parent chuckle. 

Bet Ya Didn't Know Dept.

Catherine II, aka Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia in the18th century, was not Russian! She was born in 1729 in the tiny German principality of Anhalt-Zerbst [commonly known as "A-Z". Ed.], Her father was Prince Christian of A-Z, and she was baptized Sophia Augusta Frederica. Her parents and friends called her "Fiekchen", a diminutive of "Sophia". I guess you have to speak German to understand that.

When she was taken to Russia as the wife of the future Tsar Peter III, she converted from heretical Lutheranism and was admitted to the Orthodox Church, and took the name Catherine Alexeievna. How about that.

Pandemic Madness Dept.

The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reports that at this very moment 6,035,208 of the world's people have died of the Wuhan flu. That's slightly more than 6 million of a world population of roughly 7.9  billion. Thus the mortality rate from the New Black Death is... let's see... carry the 1... something like 0.0756%. 

In other words [figures, shurely. Ed.] <1/10th of 1%. The mortality rate from the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19 is estimated to have been 2%. Do you still think we're wrong to call the current "crisis" a "Dempanic"?

By the way, did you get all three (and counting) of your shots? Are you still wearing your mask, or "chin diaper" as our friend Michael Matt calls them? How has all that worked out for you? Did you get sick anyway? Just askin'

TV Wokeness Dept.

Has anyone else noticed that Family Guy has become really lame, to the point of wokeness, lately?  The main plot line this past Sunday was about Peter Griffin losing his friends to a lawyer who moved in next door. Peter felt abandoned and sad, until the lawyer made him see that Quagmire, Cleveland and Joe were still his friends, and they all lived happily ever after. The lawyer, by the way, was black. ("Helloo dere. I'se yo new neighbuh!")

There's been a lot of that -- black lawyers, doctors, financial advisors and other well-spoken professional people -- on TV lately. Not to mention happy, upwardly mobile mixed-race couples. They appear prominently in dramas, comedies, and even TV commercials for woke corporate America. I don't see any of them in my neighbourhood though. How about you?

Wally Awards Dept.

Speaking of TV commercials, here's one for an expensive car that is not being driven by a BIPOC. And it's not a BMW either. This one gets the coveted Wally for excellence in creative advertising.

 

Any parent who's ever had to sit through a high school orchestra concert can appreciate that one!

Whatever Happened To? Dept.

Oh. Yes. Catherine the Great. She was the wife of Tsar Peter III, right? How did she get to be Empress of All the Russias? Well sir... Catherine not only changed her name but learned the language and went out of her royal way to become more Russian than the Russians. She was much loved by the people, unlike her husband, who was loated almost as much as Just In Trudeau is by the people of Canuckistan.

Catherine formed a party devoted to her interests and the overthrow of the Tsar. When Peter foolishly retired to his country estate in June of 1762, two young army officers took Catherine to St Petersburg, where the troops proclaimed her empress and swore their allegiance to her.

When advised of the coup d'état, Peter didn't know whether to shit or wind his wristwatch (as the crude saying of those times had it). He finally abidcated without condition. He was then arrested on Catherine's order, and sent to the estate of the two officers (who happened to be btothers). There Peter died, four days later, in mysterious circumstances.

Upon receiving news of her husband's death, Catherine dined in public with her customary tranquil air. Not until the next day did she announce the Tsar's demise, in these words: "We have received the information to our great sorrow and affliction that it was God's will to end the life of the former Tsar Peter III by a sever attach of haemorrhoidal colic."

End of story. Source: Ergang, Robert: Europe from the Renaissance to Waterloo, D.C. Heath & Co., 1954.

"Don't buy Canadian!" Brandon likes oil from Iran, Venezuela better

Sleepy Joe Brandon had a rare moment of lucidity this week, when he seemed to acknowledge that the Excited States of America is not self-sufficient in oil any more. Running on fumes, it is! 

That nasty non-renewable gasoline is up to $5-7 at the pumps, and trending upward. Bad news for American motorists, including Freedom Truckers. And not just for them, but for anyone who wishes to travel anywhere by road, rail or air. 

Of course there are alternatives, like this. 

Yep, just throw another log (or bag of wood chips) into the old gas generator there, and you're good to go. If you think you can't burn gas from wood. let me ask: have you had your fireplace chimney cleaned out lately? But you're gonna need a helluva lot of wood, and the rig isn't very aerodynamic, probably kinda slow.

So what else? How about EVs? You can run cars, trucks, buses and trains on electricity, right? Not airplanes though. The cost of the extension cord would be a killer. But where does the electricity [That's "hydro", for our readers in Canuckstan. Ed.] come from? Well, you have these big power plants than run on, errr... 

Let's be practical then. America needs more oil! So if we can't produce enough in the US of A, we'll have to buy some from other countries. Like Russia, from which the US of A imported 709,000 barrels of crude and petroleum products per day, last year.

Errr, can't do that now. Even the ultra-woke Canadians stopped doing that, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On Tuesday, the Biden-Harris maladministration followed Canada' lead and banned petroleum imports from Russia. Now Sleepy Joe is forced to go, cap in hand, to other "friendly" countries who have oil for sale. Like Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

The oiligarchs [Very clever! Ed.] of the Muddle East have the capacity to ramp up production, but Brandon trash-talked them during the 2020 fake election campaign. He referred to Saudi Arabia as a "pariah" state and said that its government has "very little social redeeming value." True enough, but not reason enough to stop buying their oil, eh, Joe?

But there's a bigger bump in the road. The Saudis and Emiratis have their keffiyehs in a twist over Crazy Joe's lack of support for their own brutal interventions in Yemen, where the two countries are fighting a proxy war against Iran. 

There's also the little matter of Brandon's push to restart the Iran nuclear agreement. As a result, the Wall Street Journal reported this week that the leaders of both countries have ghosted Brandon and are refusing to take his calls. The unintended consequence could well be  the lifting of American sanctions on Iran, which has tens of millions of barrels of oil sitting in tankers for immediate delivery. And there's even more where that came from! Cheap!

Of course buying from the mad mullahs would be supporting the world's exporter of Islamic terrorism, a theocracy which has threated to wipe the "Zionist entity" (Israel) off the map, and needs only that the Paranoid States of America look the other way while it develops the nuclear weapons so to do.

Lucky for Brandon that there's another source, closer to home. Last weekend he sent a delegation to Caracas to discuss easing the American sanctions on Venezuelan oil, which were the proximate cause of America's increasing dependence on Russian oil. Talk about things not quite working out!

Meanwhile, Sleepy Joe still points with pride at his Day One decision to kill the Keystone XL pipeline, approved by President Trump, which would have allowed the importation of millions of barrels per day of Canadian crude oil, direct to American refineries. It's cheap, too. Just turn on the tap. 

But nooo... buying oil from Canuckistan wouldn't play well with Democratic eco-wienies like Michigan's Democratic governor Karen Whitmer [Isn't that "Gretchen"? Ed.]. She has her own anti-oil campaign going against Enbridge's Line 5, which supplies 65% of propane demand in the Upper Peninsula, and 55% of Michigan's statewide propane needs. Her effort to close it down is now before the courts. Guess whose side Brandon is on.

The liberal governments of both the USA and Canada have scared away investors by consistently blocking proposed pipelines and LNG export terminals, which could now be supplying America with all the oil and gas it needs.

If the wokesters and eco-wienies in Washington and Ottawa simply got out of the way and allowed decisions over pipelines and other infrastructure projects to be made by private businesses and landowners, the oil and gas would be flowing to where it's needed as we speak. And you'd be able to fill up your gas tank for two bucks a gallon... or less. Think about that while you walk to work!

Are Dems dumb enough to bring criminal charges vs President Trump?

RealClearPolitics is an American political news website and polling data aggregator which has been publishing reasonably balanced analyses of the state of the disunion since 2000. In addition to being an editor for its sister publication, RealClearInvestigations, J. Peder Zane, contributes columns to RCP. "Are Democrats Really Going to Cross the Rubicon?", published yesterday,  is a must-read. If you haven't got time right now, the "Reader's Digest version" below answers Walt's headline question.

Little attention [has been] paid to the ineffably consequential decision by Democrats to go all-out in their assault on American democracy. 

Just as Julius Caesar invited civil war by crossing the Rubicon, the partisan House committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol let it be known that it will recommend bringing two sets of criminal charges against former President Donald Trump regarding the 2020 election.

Given how divided our country is, and the wide support Trump still enjoys, his indictment would be an incalculably reckless act. If Democrats had a slam dunk case against Trump, one could argue that they might have some justification for putting the nation at such risk. They do not. 

So far, their argument – which echoes the larger left-wing push to punish and erase all narratives that do not support their preferred version of reality – appears to be that there is a single truth, their truth, and that Trump’s unwillingness to embrace it is a crime. It is impossible to overstate the danger of this mindset, which is a profound assault on free speech and a dramatic escalation of the effort to criminalize political differences.

Politics in free nations is necessarily rough and tumble. It is a contest of ideas that often lack scientific precision. It makes room for debatable claims that may contain falsity as well as kernels of truth. The best evidence shows that Trump did not win as many votes as Biden in 2020, but also that it was a highly unusual contest filled with troubling irregularities. Prohibiting people from making that case is un-American. 

Once a precedent is set, it becomes the norm. Do we really want to go down this road of indicting – rather than just challenging and debunking – those whose only crime is holding problematic opinions? Why would Democrats place our republic in such peril? The answer is that they want this conflict.

As polls show their effort to transform America meeting ever wider resistance, they seem eager for a final battle that will allow them to vanquish the right once and for all. Unable to achieve their ends through democratic channels, they are intent on blowing up the system.

Democrats are convinced that only they possess the truth and that those who disagree with them are beneath contempt. They see their venomous tactics as virtuous. If you have ever confronted hard-core Democrats about these issues, you know there is no talking to them. All they have is their certainty. 

The incendiary path Democrats are heading down is unimaginably destructive, not just to the United States but to the world. As Putin continues his war in Ukraine and China’s saber-rattling regarding Taiwan intensifies, united American leadership is indispensable. Instead of bringing us together, criminal charges against Trump would burn down our house.

Further reading: Walt strongly recommends that you read every word of Mr Zane's column. Then read it again. If you know any Dumbocratic solons, you could write to them and tell them they're making a big mistake. Not that it will do any good. As Mr Zane says, there's no talking to them.

Why Ukraine matters

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has spurred Walt's agents -- Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian alike -- to send in material which the rest of the world should know. From Agent 6 comes a list of statistics showing why Ukraine matters, and deserves to be included in the European Union. 

1st in Europe in proven recoverable reserves of uranium ores

2nd place in Europe and 10th place in the world in terms of titanium ore reserves

2nd place in the world in terms of explored reserves of manganese ores (2.3 billion tons, or 12% of the world's reserves)

2nd largest iron ore reserves in the world (30 billion tons)

2nd place in Europe in terms of mercury ore reserves

3rd place in Europe (13th place in the world) in shale gas reserves (22 trillion cubic meters)

4th in the world by the total value of natural resources

7th place in the world in coal reserves (33.9 billion tons)

Ukraine is an agricultural country.

1st in Europe in terms of arable land area

3rd place in the world by the area of black soil (25% of world's volume)

1st place in the world in exports of sunflower and sunflower oil

2nd place in the world in barley production and 4th place in barley exports

3rd largest producer and 4th largest exporter of corn in the world

4th largest producer of potatoes in the world

5th largest rye producer in the world

5th place in the world in bee production (75,000 tons)

8th place in the world in wheat exports

9th place in the world in the production of chicken eggs

16th place in the world in cheese exports

Ukraine can meet the food needs of 600 million people.

Ukraine is an industrialized country.

1st in Europe in ammonia production

2nd place in Europe and 4th largest natural gas pipeline system in the world (142.5 bln cubic meters of gas throughput capacity in the EU)

3rd largest in Europe and 8th largest in the world in terms of installed capacity of nuclear power plants 3rd place in Europe and 11th in the world in terms of rail network length (21,700 km)

3rd place in the world (after the U.S. and France) in production of locators and locating equipment

3rd largest iron exporter in the world

4th largest exporter of turbines for nuclear power plants in the world

4th largest manufacturer of rocket launchers in the world

4th place in the world in clay exports

4th place in the world in titanium exports

8th place in the world in exports of ores and concentrates

9th place in the world in exports of defence industry products

10th largest steel producer in the world (32.4 million tons)

No wonder Putin wants to get his blood-stained hands on Ukraine! He must be stopped!!!

Source: Andriy Futey, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America Ukrainian World Congress - Свiтовий Конґрес Українців

Ukrainian trannies ordered to stay and fight as men

You can call yourself "transgender" if you want, and dress up like a drag queen if you want, but if you've got a cubic pubic between your legs, you're still a man... as far as the Ukrainian government is concerned. 

In what has become a controversial move by Ukrainian authorities, transgender "women" are being denied from leaving the country because their passport indicates they are not women, but men!

Radio Gold reports that Ukrainian female wannabes say they are "totally stuck" and "scared for their lives" in the country because their passport states that they are "men". 

As they clutched their feather boas, two Ukrainian trans women said they can't join the "women and children first" fleeing the Russian invasion, because all of their ID documents say "male". And... horror of horrors... their papers mention their "old masculine names", and use those pesky old masculine pronounes!

Some "gay rights" groups have started advising trans "women" to lose their ID, in order to get out of Ukraine. LGBTQ2SXYZetc activists estimate this issue is leading to "hundreds" of trans people in Ukraine being left in "serious danger" and feeling "completely alone."

One trans woman said she is "terrified" of being stopped trying to leave Ukraine and having to submit to short arms inspection, which would reveal that xi [Is that the right pronoun? Ed.] which would reveal xer manlihood, after which xi would be forced to join the Ukrainian army.

Another Ukrainian trannie is the only person left in her neighbourhood, xi says through xer tears, because xi's scared to leave her accommodation for fear of transphobic attacks. 

The real gender divide cuts both ways. One trans "man", who transitioned over six years ago and has lived as a man in Ukraine since, only has an ID which labels xim "female". He told VICE World News [That's its name? Seriously? Ed.] about xis fears of leaving his house and trying to make it across Ukraine. During a phone call, screaming and explosions were heard coming from outside xis accommodation, but xe still refused to leave because of his ID issue. 

Walt sez... Ya big girl's blouse! If you had `em cut off, grow a new set, and stand and fight for your country!

Thanks and a tip o' the шапка to Agent 5, a 100% Ukrainian MAN!

Ask God for mercy! Lenten message from Abp Carlo Maria Viganò

What follows is excerpted from the Lenten message of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who served as the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States from October 2011 to April 2016, and is now in the forefront of the movement for the return to Catholic Tradition. 

Come and be converted to me, says the Lord. Come weeping, let us shed tears to God: because we have transgressed, and because of us the earth suffers: we have committed iniquity and because of us its foundations have been shaken. Let us hasten to prevent God’s wrath, weeping and saying: You who take upon Yourself the sins of the world, have mercy on us. 

These words...are simple in their severe clarity, for they show us that God’s wrath because of our sins and betrayals can only be appeased by contrition and penance. In the Roman Rite this concept is made even more clearly in the prayer of the Litany of Saints: Deus, qui culpa offenderis, pænitentia placaris: preces populi tui supplicantis propitius respice; et flagella tuæ iracundiæ, quæ pro peccatis nostris meremur, averte. O God, who is offended by guilt and appeased by penance: look kindly on the prayers of your people who implore You; and turn away from us the scourges of your wrath, which we deserve because of our sins.

Christian civilization was able to treasure this salutary notion, which keeps us away from sin not only for fear of the just punishment that it entails, but also for the offense caused to the Majesty of God, "infinitely good and worthy of being loved above all things," as the Act of Contrition teaches us. 

Down the centuries humanity converted to Christ knew how to recognize in the mournful events of history – in earthquakes, famines, pestilences, and wars – the punishment of God; and always the people struck by these scourges knew how to do penance and implore Divine Mercy. And when the Lord, the Blessed Virgin or the Saints intervened in human affairs with apparitions and revelations, in addition to the call to observe the Law of God they threatened great tribulations if men were not converted.

At Fatima, also, Our Lady asked for the Consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart and the reparative Communion of the First Saturdays as an instrument to appease the anger of God and to be able to enjoy a period of peace. Otherwise, Russia "will spread its errors throughout the world, promoting wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be destroyed."

What should we expect from disregarding Our Lady’s requests and continuing to offend the Lord with more and more horrible sins? "They did not want to fulfill My request! Like the King of France, they will repent and do it, but it will be late. Russia will have already spread its errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the Church."

These wars, which today afflict humanity to enslave it and submit it to the infernal plan of the Great Reset inspired by Chinese Communism, are once again the result of our indocility, of our obstinacy in believing that we can trample on the Law of the Lord and blaspheme His Holy Name without consequences. What wretched presumption! How much Luciferian pride!...

As long as we have time, dear brothers and sisters, let us ask God for mercy; let us implore His pardon and make amends for sins that have been committed. Because a day will arrive when the time of Mercy will be completed, and the day of Justice will begin. Dies illa, dies iræ: calamitatis et miseriæ; dies magna et amara valde. 

That day will be a day of wrath : a day of catastrophe and misery, a great and truly bitter day. On that day the Lord will come to judge the world with fire: judicare sæculum per ignem. 

May it please God that the admonitions of Our Lady and the mystic Saints lead us, in this hour of darkness, to truly convert, to recognize our sins, to see them absolved in the Sacrament of Confession, and to atone for them with fasts and penances. So that the arm of God’s Justice may be stopped by the few, when it ought to fall upon the many. 

And so may it be. 

+ Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop 

Further reading: Click here to read Archbishop Viganò's message in full.

See also "Russia's war against Ukraine explained by Our Lady of Fatima", WWW 3/3/22.