You don’t have to be a night owl to appreciate hooters. Katie bounces around with different topics but lands on nice owls.
Bullet Points:
** School then and now.
** Wishful thinking is the alchemy that turns fools’ gold into silver linings. But what would the better outcomes look like in Iran?
** The Electric Car Trend – (Breitbart) Tesla vehicle registrations in California fell by nearly a quarter in the first three months of 2026, with Elon Musk’s EV giant recording more than 10,000 fewer sales compared to the same period in 2025. The entire EV market in California has crashed, with Q1 registrations down 40 percent to levels not seen since 2021.
** So, you want to climb Mt. Everest?
** (Randall Carson) What about the Moon? Three anomalies about the Moon sit uneasily alongside the standard impact origin hypothesis – the idea that a Mars-sized body struck the early Earth and ejected the material that became the Moon. The first is density. The Moon is significantly less dense than Earth, a fact that is difficult to reconcile with the idea that it formed from terrestrial material. The second is age – lunar samples contain material that predates the Earth itself, which the impact hypothesis cannot cleanly account for. The third is the most striking. When the Apollo 12 lunar lander was deliberately crashed onto the surface, the Moon rang like a bell. Seismometers left by Apollo missions recorded a vibrational train lasting far longer than any equivalent impact on Earth would produce – ten times or more. The same phenomenon occurred during meteorite strikes. Rocky bodies of normal composition do not behave this way. The Moon’s anomalous resonance has never been fully explained.
** You do NOT need a knife to eat Biscuits and gravy.
** When Thomas Jefferson saw that there was no negotiating with Muslims, he attached Marines to U.S. merchant vessels. When the Muslims attacked U.S. merchant vessels, they were repulsed by armed Marines. The Marines followed the Muslims back to their villages and killed every man in the village. It didn’t take long for the Muslims to leave U.S. Merchant vessels alone. It’s worth learning from historical precedents. Then there was Pres Roosevelt – (wind and the lion) (part two). Now there is President Trump.
** The secret to life is biting off more than you can chew and then figuring out how to chew it.
** It evokes memories of SERE school at Warner Hot Springs.
The Gangster’s Paradise
(cue the song by Culio) There are two principal Hispanic prison gangs in California, and their influence spreads well beyond state boundaries.
The Mexican Mafia, or La Eme, and its feeder group, Los Sureños (or Sur 13), serve as foot soldiers for La Eme. Their membership is roughly 30,000. I don’t think that’s an understatement. They operate primarily in Southern California (outside of the prison system).
The Nuestra Familia (NF) was founded in 1965 in California’s Soledad correctional facility. It operates a structured criminal enterprise focusing on drug trafficking, extortion, and murder, controlling many Northern California Hispanic street gangs known as Norteños.
The prison system attempts to control the mafia’s influence by moving them around, but its success is limited by time and place. EME and NF rarely cooperate – they have their various shot callers and turf control inside and outside of institutions.
A discussion of prison gangs would be incomplete without discussing the white groups Aryan Brotherhood (AB) and PN1 (Public Enemy #1), the Black Guerilla Family, and the various street gangs that feed them. In my experience, they’re much stronger inside prison than on the street, where other criminal interests compete with them. Asian and Russian gangs seem to have much less influence inside prison, but there are also the Islamic groups inside prison that band together for mutual protection. The motorcycle gangs, Hell’s Angels, Mongols, Hessians (check your local listings for regional groups), sometimes attract prison gang members. I’ve known Vagos who also had EME or Sur13 ink and Hessians who affiliated with the AB inside prisons. (I was undercover in the Hessians for two years – some time ago – and still have my Hessians cut.) Usually, becoming a made member of any hardcore gang requires vetting and initiation. I reported to the presiding judge of the Federal District Court every Friday to receive transactional immunity one week in advance. I know a guy – a friend of mine – in New York who was undercover in the Ghost Shadows (Asian gang) who went through the same process. It’s technically a license to kill. These sorts of dispensations are not common, but it’s necessary if you want to put somebody into harm’s way like that. In my experience, they’re limited in time and scope – a couple of years is like a lifetime. It’s a younger man’s game.
In recent news as of April 2026, federal and local law enforcement agencies conducted a massive sweep across Southern California targeting the La Eme – Operation Gangsta’s Paradise. The operation resulted in the arrest of over 40 members and associates. I have been involved in similar operations during my time in law enforcement. Taking them off the street and sending them “home” to the prison system has a limited impact. Sending them to El Salvador, where they can bond with MS13 for life, or to some place like Uganda, is a more effective approach IMHO. They draw their strength from the prison system. Sending them to El Salvador removes that base.
I have no problem with these sorts of high-profile operations. They’re useful in a very temporary sense of the word. If you have questions I can answer, we can do a Q&A. Keep in mind that I’ve been out of the enforcement business for a while. My work in the intelligence business was completely different, with different objectives.
There are different levels of law enforcement work. Some of them are formal (Interpol interoperability, etc), and the more effective ones are informal. MikeW (author of Hunting in the Shadows – now available on A.I. Audio), who worked for the Australian Federal Police during part of his career, and I worked together both formally and informally, for example. MikeW is a dear friend of many years.
As you read Mike’s account, you will note that this sort of work is deeply personal and impactful. Those of you who are waiting for a blow-by-blow from me in the way Mike wrote his book will have a long wait. There’s enough of it in the short stories and that which is woven into the novels here and there.
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Break Aways
Alberta and Saskatchewan are talking about leaving Canada. Alberta to leave in 2026 and maybe Saskatchewan in ’27? Scotland continually threatens to leave the UK. The Scottish National Party was pushing that in the 70s when I lived in the area. What about the Isle of Man? The Isle of Man is currently a self-governing British Crown Dependency, meaning it is not part of the United Kingdom, but the British Crown is responsible for its defense (with what?) and international representation. As of 2026, the head of state is King Charles III, who holds the title of Lord of Mann.Mec Vannin
Identify the Armor
1
Identify the Aircraft
2
3
4
Parting Shot
End
(1) AMX-13
(2) Piaseki H-21
(3) Supersaetta
(4) Su-34
– Kle.
You ran the table!!
1 – AMX-13-75
2 – Piasecki H-21 Flying Banana
3 – Hispano Aviación HA-220 Super Saeta
4 – Sukhoi Su-35S
#4 is a Sukhoi Su-35S (NATO reporting name: Flanker-E), a heavily upgraded derivative of the Su-27.
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When I read Kle’s response early this morning, I didn’t have my glasses on and read Su-35. But ML Thomas, you nailed it.
Identify the Armor:
1. AMX-13/105
Identify the Aircraft:
2. Piasecki H-21
3. Hispano HA-200 Saeta
4. Su-27 Flanker
Make John Milius Great Again.
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Sum-Chinese-Dood said political power comes out of the barrel of a gun. The Iranian people have no political power because the mullahs and their minions have all the guns. Arm the Iranian people. They know where these sumbitches live so give them the means to get to it.
trump/dow tried but the intermediary decided to keep the guns instead of passing them on. i’m left to wonder what became of them.
Good question and I’m left to wonder why I never heard about it. Who was the intermediary?
I suspect that the talks with Iran, are a stall tactic ( I know, duh), however I think it’s a stall tactic on our side waiting for that uprising. I hope.
Yes. We need to give Iran a chance to solve its own problems without wiping out their infrastructure. Will that work?
Prayer is sometimes an appropriate tactic.
President Trump or DHS Sec Mullin should apply the Special Immigrant status visas to all SAS troopers resigning.
They would surely qualify as Special Employment immigrants.
Brilliant!!!!
California carry over from yesterday. Apparently Cole Allen purchased his guns (“DEADLY ARSENAL OF WEAPONS”) legally.
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https://nypost.com/2026/04/26/us-news/cole-allen-bought-guns-at-two-california-stores-before-whcd-attack/
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“Texas Freedom, California style” Rrrrrrreeep! (needle dragging across LP). Yeeeah, I got nuthin’.
While I’m at it–
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https://x.com/WallStreetApes/status/2048585014716342510
It’s not worth the liability for $1. There are massive taxes to be paid, and you’d need to service the tax debt. There’s no way to break even if you got the skyscraper free of charge.
I figured that from looking at the dweeb and from the lack of tactical awareness. I’m sure he’s a victim of something, and it will come out at trial. He has the Obama blood-blend. They’ll point to that as justification.
Everest…when corporate operation – pay to climb – takes over what used to be a personal pursuit. Imagine paying $100k to climb the worlds tallest mountain (above sea level that is) only to wait in a long line at the Hillary Step as if it were a ride at Disneyland. No thanks. And guess who gets to clean up all that mess at Camp IV,? The local Sherpas…which has been ongoing. Now look at a shot of Basecamp, worse.
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Alberta and Saskatchewan Better hurry up and get it done before the ink is dry on the new insane deal between Carney and China.
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Speaking of ‘deals’…another Art of the Deal is almost finished: The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. At 2500 feet long was slated for renovations, using taxpayer monies…”expected” cost (meaning, we have no idea so it’s open-ended) was $301M dollars and 3 years, including years of no public access and a mess. Instead, similar to the Wolman Rink debacle that cost NYC taxpayers a mint without any work starting…PDJT brought in his own pool guys. Has so far only taken a week and cost $2M, and a better job (also no graft involved). Workers are in the final phase of the renovations this week, and had tasked Interior Secretary Burgum to get it done in short order. This is what WTP voted for, not the Bums in Armani, who some are truing to undermine the effort that mirrors the private sector and not lackluster government purposeful slow-walking, are decrying the work as cronyism, sneering at ‘Trump’s Pool Guys’ while suggesting he is getting kickbacks. Now I must to listen to The Five, see how Tarlov couches this one…like was done with the Ballroom that every President wanted but never got done, now of course is being worked hard to thwart by the usual ninny’s.
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The above is solution oriented, not government ‘no solution’…except worsening the problem once getting their grubby mitts on one…so was with Jefferson; wanna mess with us and not play nice, okay then…just remember, you started it and we gave you fair warning.
Do you recall the ice rink that President Trump repaired at Rockefeller Sq in NYC when the government said it was impossible at any price? Same thing here.
That was the Wollman Rink…was familiar with the work he did, got it done within his budget and schedule, called in the best Canadian rink guys, but also made the deal that Trump International was to manage it for 10 years so the local officials couldn’t screw it up.
Wind and Lion—Reminded me of close order drill comp on last day of boot camp, Parris Island 1965. Also 4 other Marines and I in Georgetown in 1966 during Viet Nam. We sat down in a bar. One of us was black. Waiter came to the table and stated he would not serve us. There was still a lot of segregation in the country at this time. Chairs began to slide back slowly from the table We were in civies. A guy behind me tapped me on the shoulder and asked if we were Marines. I nodded in the affirmative. The waiter suddenly came to his senses and asked, “What can I get for all of you.”
My next door neighbor, a young guy, is Iranian(Persian). We were both cutting grass Friday and stopped to chat. I asked if he still had family in Iran. He stated that he did and that they were doing ok, but had to leave the city for the countryside. The phone lines are now down. Some cell towers or switching stations too, I suppose.
I do not communicate with people in Iran directly, but I know a guy who lives outside of the US and does. The report back was similar to yours. The cities are becoming unlivable. It’s a big country, big population, big rural area.
Just how Iranians from cities will survive in rural areas? Much of Iran resembles Death Valley. They have little arable land and limited water.
Hasn’t our forces focused on the Revolutionary Guard and not much on the Iran Army? Could the Army turn on the mullahs and the Guard with the backing of the general population?
Right now nobody in Iran seems to be in complete, or even complete control.
Most of Iran is mountains – rough terrain. There are desert areas but if you pull up a Google Earth map – they don’t have the Euphrates River valley they way Iraq does and they import foodstuff, but in the short term there should be enough food in circulation to get them through 100 days or so. It’s been 52 days of war so far, but most of the infrastructure remains intact. I don’t know about the rail link to China. We do know that China has been flying weapons systems into Iran during the cease fire.
“Sending them to El Salvador removes that base.”
Is it legal to send “citizens” there? We’ve been using the alien enemies act.
We need to make it legal. Yes, I know, slippery slope and all that, but it’s the only way to deal with the prison gang issue. So far, nothing including this operation will have much impact. If going home is the threat to criminals, it is no threat.
Doesn’t declaring the gangs as ‘domestic terrorists’ open up Guantanamo to be used as prison space?
It should but I don’t know that EME, AB, PN1, BGF, NF, etc. have been so designated. Because they have their homes in PRISON, it may be more difficult to designate them as domestic terrorists – though they are. Their power base is a government institution.
I keep thinking (along with a lot of others) that there’s another way to remove the problem.
Wind and the Lion. The USMC captain (Steve Kanaly, 1st Air Cav vet) got it right. Saber worn on the left, drawn with right hand. Sidearm worn in reverse holster on the right, cross-drawn with left hand.
That’s a good technique if you’re going more for saber than for shooting, as the non-dominant hand is the backup weapon.
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What I truly love about the movie is how much they got so darned right about Navy and Marine uniforms and equipment. The Naval machine-gun team carrying the potato-digger on a wheeled carriage, with naval ratings with guns and a Navy band, while the Marines are riflemen. That’s just so darned right. Makes me happy.
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Must have been fun training to do double-time while going through an obstacle course while carrying their loadout. Especially the navy guys with said machine gun. And, of course, the band coming up, peak America.
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And… just checked my dvd list and I now need to purchase it. (sound of keyboard clicking) And now it’s coming tomorrow. Whooo, win for Capitalism!!!!
Viscount Furness, I was his secretary(!), once declared over roast beef that “if you need a knife, turn it back.” He had a point.
SERE Warner Springs was NOT fun… Just sayin… Especially in January of 73.
It isn’t fun in the summer either.
My dad did the after-Korean War cease-fire AF survival school and ended up 5lbs heavier than when he went in. Of course, growing up Cajun during the Depression and WWII meant that practically everything was food and he already knew a lot of the basic skills from doing hunting and fishing and whatever else he did as a kid.
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Actual SERE? No, nope, just no. I mean, if forced to I could have probably done it to some extent but, jeez, no. Just no. First consideration is that most places SERE is usable is in an area of the world that I am deathly allergic to, like, to the color green, trees, grasses, weeds, mold and mildew. And animals that actively try to be more deadly than what you find in a bad day in Australia. I can do the minimal camping (if I don’t die from anaphylactic shock) and do hunting and fishing and eating weird crap, but do that while being actively tracked? Yeah, too much like public school, no thanks, had enough of that crap in… public school.
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Kudos to all who have survived it and managed to thrive afterwards.
It’s difficult but you have to keep in mind when you’re doing it these days that 10,000 people made it through SERE before you did. As an aside, an in-law relative of my daughter (Navy Aviator) who is female, just had a very rough go of it at SERE. Like very rough.
It should be SR. There is no Evasion or Escape. They know where you are and will come get you when they are ready.