Calming Influence

@calminginfluence.bsky.social

811 Followers 1015 Following

Puget Sound (on a dry spot) Laborer, scientist, builder, artist, general life enthusiast. Despite it all, I like to smile. USAF, PSD, 9th SRW, Beale AFB, 75-79 Pro-democracy, Anti-authoritarian, Peace-loving veteran.

Two men sitting in a library; one is saying, "Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it. Yet those who do study history are doomed to stand by helplessly while everyone else repeats it."
Shells on a beach spelling out "TRUMP RAPED KIDS"
Photo of Jeffrey Epstein on a cell phone, with his arm wrapped around Melania, holding her to his chest while she's standing in front of him.
Tigerlily cat settling down for a snooze.
A cartoon showing Donald Trump holding a trophy in one arm with a dog biting at his sleeve on the other arm and a caption that says: "Donald Trump decides that he also needs the Westminster Kennel Club trophy to feel whole." (Brendan Loper is the cartoonist)
ABC News story titled "From Russia to Bistro Bis: The Calif. congressman who dined with alleged Russian agent" Text of article: When FBI counterintelligence agents plowed through the emails of alleged Russian agent Maria Butina’s networking around Washington, they discovered her plan to arrange “friendship and dialogue dinners" with influential Americans. At one dinner, ABC News has learned, in February 2017 at the tony French eaterie, Bistro Bis, one guest who dined with the then-28-year-old Russian was a California Republican congressman on the House Foreign Relations committee, Dana Rohrabacher. Rohrabacher’s office confirmed he attended.
The Incident: In July 2015, at a FreedomFest event in Las Vegas, Butina (then 27) asked then-candidate Trump a question about his views on U.S. sanctions against Russia, to which he replied that he did not believe sanctions would be necessary because he thought he would get along well with Vladimir Putin. Background: Butina was a Russian national who was living in Washington, D.C., on a student visa at American University. She used the cover of a gun rights activist to infiltrate influential conservative groups, including the National Rifle Association (NRA), to build back-channel lines of communication between Russia and the American conservative movement/Trump campaign. Conviction and Return: In December 2018, Butina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent of the Russian state. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison, released in October 2019, and deported to Russia. Current Status: Following her return to Russia, she was elected to the State Duma (the Russian Parliament) in 2021.
The term "peace officer" historically describes the fundamental role of law enforcement—maintaining public tranquility—and is rooted in the English tradition of "constables of peace" or "bobbies," evolving from watchmen to modern officers responsible for preserving the peace through enforcement and community service. While often used interchangeably with "police officer," "peace officer" is a broader legal designation in many U.S. states, encompassing various officials (sheriffs, deputies, even some security) vested with state power to enforce laws and protect citizens, emphasizing their duty to restore order and protect life and property.
Sticky Fingers Rolling Stones album cover
Snoozin' Sunday
Out of pocket costs for prescription in the U.K.