JoJo then went on to discuss the current issue with the FBI and I think he should have kept it to himself. In the last 24 hrs he said something to the effect that ‘the FBI can’t touch us’. My answer to that is what happens if they don’t, what happens if the SJWs get a bit more desperate, or a bit more desperate? Or as I’ve been told already by a friend who works in the intelligence services, all they would have to do is send ‘the file’ to a few right wing media outlets. It would be almost impossible for him to stop that kind of thing. That’s why I have never once shared one article with anyone and now I am sure that I never will. It was clear from the off that this was a personal matter, an obsession. It wasn’t about the facts. But then I am just a layman. What can you do, if the FBI won’t listen to you? This is a great question because the FBI and the NSA are still around so you are not talking about a government that doesn’t exist. Maybe the right thing to do would be to keep to yourself. Even a layman would understand that people who have a clear obsession with things they want to write about aren’t going to just give up and go away. All I am saying is maybe the solution is something like the self imposed excommunication rule that a certain online news outlet uses. So, I have just had a major realization. This could be just me getting old and bitter, but that, or maybe its a sign of age and maybe I’m overreacting but I don’t think that this has anything to do with me. Yesterday, I found myself in a conversation with someone who was defending Russia’s position over the Ukrainian crisis. I didn’t really get too involved, as I don’t like Russia very much, because I had a day of work to prepare for. However, the conversation reminded me of an article written about a year ago by my friend, the very talented Joe Murgia. It took place in Ukraine on the day the Russians had invaded Crimea. If you haven’t already read it, you should do so. It’s a brilliant piece of writing and you can read it here. Since then, I’ve found myself repeating those phrases all the time. To tell you the truth, it has been hard to get out of that rut, but I think I managed to do it and I’ve managed to do it because of the Ukraine crisis, not in spite of it. You see, I never really paid too much attention to Russia, but what is going on over there could really mean the end of them. Just like when I didn’t pay too much attention to the Islamic threat, for the same reasons. It is funny, a couple of weeks ago, I was in a queue for coffee. I was almost at the front when I realised that I didn’t have my wallet with me. No big deal, I just turned around and went back. If I was out somewhere, where I wouldn’t be embarrassed and would be able to recover it easily, I wouldn’t bother. I am not going to walk into a restaurant and ask for my wallet back. I am on my way back to the queue. On my way back, I realise that this is a silly thing to do. I am in my 40s. There is no excuse for me not to have a wallet, except that I don’t use it. But anyway, I turned around and went back to the queue. It made me laugh inside that I was doing it, but it made me laugh even more outside the fact that what the hell was I doing carrying my wallet with me in a hotel? When I was around 30, I noticed that I used to go out with the same wallet. Not a great idea, but when you aren’t very well known, you just need to have a credit card with your picture on it. At the time, it seemed like the lesser of two evils because I did get mugged twice. Once by two guys and once by three guys. If I wasn’t carrying a wallet with my picture on it, there is a very good chance that I could be in trouble. This has probably been the least of my problems. The last time I went to the doctor, for instance, they asked me for a photo. I told them about the time when some idiot robbed my phone out of my pocket and as a consequence, I ended up without a wallet. It would have been easier for me to explain why the doctor needed a photo, instead of the person behind me in the queue asking me for it. I could probably explain all this, but I don’t think it will change anything. So I guess I will go on carrying my wallet. I still believe in the American dream. If someone mugged me today, I would be less likely to fight back because I know that muggers like people who fight back. The only thing is that I did feel stupid for the first couple of days I was without a wallet. I felt stupid because I don’t really need to carry a credit card with my picture on it. Even if I did carry a card, I wouldn’t have had a reason to use it. When I came to the country, I was never asked to take it out and show the immigration officer. There was never a reason to take it out. They just took the photo of me, so they could send it to my home country, where I would need to explain why I left the country without it. The second time around, I actually had to argue with an immigration officer who felt that I was under suspicion. It is embarrassing, to say the least. But the most embarrassing thing is that I am telling you about this stuff. It’s a bit like the classic joke about a priest in a confessional. The priest asks the penitent if there is anything he wants to tell him. And it gets increasingly embarrassing for the penitent. The priest asks him if he wants to confess that he is not a priest. Then it gets to the point that the penitent says, yes I am a priest, but can I confess that I am not a priest? The thing is that until a few years ago, I didn’t need a wallet. No credit cards, no ID. That’s how I did things. Of course, I was very old-fashioned about it. Credit cards I refused, ID I didn’t really have. It was hard, but I managed. The biggest problem was that since I didn’t carry any cards, it was harder to prove my identity. And if you are walking through the centre of the city on your own, and you were wearing something that looked like a woman’s blouse, I don’t know what to do. That was actually a real risk. In the beginning, I was really happy about it. I was so happy, that I refused to use any credit cards because it was easier. But the fact that you had to use a credit card to purchase anything, made it more expensive. This led to the second mugging. So I started carrying a credit card, but only used it in emergencies. In theory, that means it was only possible for me to be mugged once, but of course, it was more complicated than that. The fact is, I managed to convince myself that it wasn’t my fault. I told myself that the mugger got lucky. I still think that way. This was just a matter of common sense. I am not going to go out there and walk around and be scared that someone will mug me. If I am going to be mugged, it will be because I provoked the mugger and the first or second mugger and I would be really stupid to argue with someone who is following me. So I went back to carrying my wallet. I know it’s hard for people who have never had that kind of situation, but you can’t argue with the way you would act in the situation. One day, maybe I will have to prove my identity to get a driver’s license. It will be very humiliating. This is one of the few chances left for me to prove that I am who I am. This is a stupid example, but it is an example. People don’t want to find out that their neighbours’ identity is forged, so maybe when people are going to drive, they would be required to prove their identity. In the end, it will make life easier for everyone, but for now, I am not about to start wearing my wallet on my sleeve. Not in this