Injury Updates, Emergency Preparations, & Assorted Opinions
Published on HivePostify by @jacobtothe · Mon Aug 03 2026
Somehow a week has flown by since my [last post,](https://peakd.com/architecture/@jacobtothe/cool-creator-spotlight-bas-renovations) and I just haven't been inspired to write anything. Plenty of ideas are rattling around in my head, but nothing has gelled to the point of actually typing.
Ankle update: recovery remains [infuriatingly slow,](https://peakd.com/life/@jacobtothe/infuriatingly-slow-recovery) but I am to the point of almost being able to descend stairs normally instead of slowly going one step at a time. It has been a full month since I woke up with [crippling pain and no apparent cause.](https://peakd.com/hive-148441/@jacobtothe/were-all-temporarily-abled) Tendon injuries just seem to take their sweet time to heal, and there's little to be done about it.
The big news locally is a major wildfire on the west side of Spokane and several smaller fires in the region. Today, the sky was hidden behind a gray-brown layer of smoke instead of the clear weather forecasts predicted. Fire is an ongoing concern. Last winter was well below average for snowpack in the mountains, and this drought has turned our forests and prairies into a tinderbox. This could be an unusually dangerous summer, so I have been taking what steps I can in spite of my limp to update my preparations for power outages or an evacuation.
[Image by Joshua Woroniecki on Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/photos/backpack-rocks-sun-summit-peak-7832746/)
I have the Friend-Shaped Car packed with non-perishable food and emergency supplies, but I am also taking other steps in case fire hits closer to home. I just went over my backpack contents in case all I have time to grab is that and my laptop bag on the way out the door. Batteries have been checked, some unnecessary weight has been removed, and it's ready to go. I'm also packing a duffel bag with a couple proper changes of clothes and other necessities. After all, a hoopy frood always knows where his towel is.
Other news from the wider region: apparently some loser tried to commit a mass shooting in [Twin Falls, Idaho.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026TwinFallsshooting) Unfortunately, he killed three people. Fortunately, two armed citizens confronted him, leading the loser to... ahem... rage-quit the game of life.
Those of us who favor the right to self-defense see this as proof an armed society can police itself better than the government police do, and the true first responders are the intended victims of a criminal. Those who do not trust the people with firearms see this as proof the proliferation of firearms endangers everyone, and we need a new "assault weapon ban" for public safety. The internet is full of people shouting past one another again as a result of this event.
My 2¢: It's easier to respond to a would-be mass murderer with a gun than if he had used other means. Let's not delude ourselves into believing even perfectly-implemented disarmament would prevent people with evil intentions from carrying out their intentions. We have seen the Boston Marathon pressure cooker bomb, the Unabomber's letter bombs, people driving vehicles into crowds, anthrax and ricin poison attempts, and so much more. Further, we already have too many incidents of police and other government agents murdering innocent people despite the wishes of the same who want their neighbors to be disarmed. Who will be doing the disarming, pray tell? And finally, people have a very poor understanding of the real danger compared to the media coverage incidents like this receive. We live under modern [yellow journalism](https://peakd.com/hive-168088/@jacobtothe/throwback-thursday-fake-news-and-modern-yellow-journalism) and social media hype where [If it bleeds, it leads.](https://peakd.com/news/@jacobtothe/if-it-bleeds-it-leads-how-the-american-media-perpetuates-and-profits-from-mass-shootings)
Maybe I'll sort out some of my thoughts and try to write something in-depth about how I see men and women differ or agree about authoritarianism when they believe they can somehow wield it for "the greater good," and how they perceive legitimacy and an obligation to obey. Or maybe I'll decide it's not worth the trouble. This post is long enough either way. Chime in with your own opinions and suggestions if you like about anything here.
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Tags: #life#ramblewrite#wildfire#prepping#preparedness#backpacking#injury#news