(#4989) No mercy for any Russian fighting in Ukraine!

      It is past the time to give any benefit of the doubt as to why Russia is fighting in Ukraine. Every soldier by now knows that this invasion is putin making a power grab on a neighbor. The simple act of bullying with force on anyone is beyond excusable and those that participate are actively joined in the offense. Every bullet or shell they fire at an innocent population just trying to protect itself is a grave crime punishable by death. So no mercy for any Russian still trying to overthrow the legitimate government of Ukraine who is in Ukraine trying to do just that.
     When this Russian invasion first began many Russian troops were duped into thinking this was for a good cause because they had been lied to by putin bootlickers and putin himself. But more than 7 months into this invasion there is no doubt that the real reason for this invasion is now known. The putin's of the world are bullies who care not a whit about the lives under his tyrannical rule. They know this yet they keep following his orders like the lemmings they are. Well putin's lemmings have weapons and they are firing on the Ukrainian people in order to kill them. So unless they surrender, they are going to get the full measure of a deadly response by Ukrainian forces.
     It is sad to see the Russian people meekly following the psycho putin and his henchmen. If you are going to die you might as well die for something noble like ending the reign of putin than being part of a genocide that is putin's ultimate goal. If I had to choose how to die it certainly wouldn't be for an insecure egoist who is willing to destroy his whole nations existence in order to satisfy his own fancy. I have had it with giving the Russian people the benefit of the doubt as now there are nearly 60,000 dead Russian troops in Ukraine so far because they won't find the honor it takes to stop the insanity of putin and his mob!

(#4988) Democracy is not an accessory in your life, it is foundational!

      When the many of us start treating our democracy like it is precious instead of like it is disposable only then can we keep going on further perfecting it. Until then however we who are aware of how precious our democracy is must not only defend it from the carpetbaggers who want our society for their own authoritarian gain but continue to educate those who are not learned enough to understand the significance of the democracy they exist in. Two things at once but for us who are not willing to let democracy die so that grifters and cons can take it from us, two things at once is not a problem.
     Decades of obstructing progress by republicans have brought us here and although a lot of us have been warning of this moment not enough of us have taken up the cause to prevent it. There is still time to prevent it but it must happen on November 8th of this year. If we democrats cannot keep our will to fight tooth and nail with the despicable republican party then we will have lost the greatest form of self governing the world has ever known and will unlikely be able to retrieve it without a great cost. Think of it this way, if you had sown the hole in your pocket your diamond wouldn't have fallen out of it. So instead of the unlikely attempt to retrace your steps to retrieve it, just sew the pocket! In this metaphor the pocket is your vote so make sure we all get out to vote.
     This isn't that difficult to see in real time. Look to Ukraine where putin told Ukraine do what I say and although you lose your democracy you won't be killed. Well be like Ukraine and tell putin to fuck off and then set about killing his psychotic laden boorishness by fighting tooth and nail. We here in the states don't have it so rough and dangerous like the Ukrainians do currently so make sure you vote as if you were firing a bullet at an invader who is trying to shoot you. Your vote is your bullet for now so no excuses and make sure you have done what you can do to make your ancestors proud of what you have become on this subject of saving democracy.

(#4987) Get your vote in now!

      The states of Minnesota and South Dakota Started early voting 5 days ago. The states of  Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming started early voting 4 days ago. Tomorrow the states of Illinois and Michigan will begin their early voting. The midterm general election is here folks and wherever you live you must get your vote in now and not procrastinate until it is too late. The importance of everyone's vote cannot be over stated. The critical vote count starting November 8th evening is without a doubt the most crucial since I have been alive. I will say this though that the Biden election was the most critical to that point. Now it is on to making the Biden administration fully functioning.
     The end of the filibuster, codifying Roe v. Wade, election reform, police reform, immigration reform, among many others are just waiting to get enacted after the new democratic majority with extra senators to negate the manchinema are sworn in on January 3rd. That is what is at stake. The closeness of the House race is our biggest concern at the moment but we expect that to tighten up and give us democrats a real shot at holding the house and maybe adding a few more seats. The senate looks a bit more possible since we democrats have strong candidates and the republican party has some real losers running on their side.
     By tomorrow 7 states will be voting early for the November general election so if you live in those states get to the polls or get your mail in ballot filled out chock full of marks for democrats and turned back in. We do not need to wait until the day of the election to cast a ballot when early voting is going on in your state. We need to use every available resource voting allows so that those who are limited in how they vote have the opportunity to vote without having to wait in long lines in inclement weather. Plus those of us who do vote early can help others get to their polling place if needed. We democrats cannot stop working to get our voters out and make the real strong case for voting democrat as opposed to voting for trump like grifting conmen/women.

(#4986) Over a thousand Russian troops dead over the last 2 days.

      At this rate putin will hit over 100,000 Russians dead in the next 3 months. Let us hope that he is not around much longer to accomplish this infamous milestone. He is having a far greater negative effect on his own countrymen than he is on the Ukrainian forces. How much longer will this keep going on is a phrase I keep bringing up every week or so. It is unfathomable to me that someone in the Kremlin has not found their courage and put a stop to the madman. Until then we will keep getting reports of massive amounts of young Russian soldiers dying on Ukrainian soil for nothing more than a fiendish plot by putin to some psychotic end. 
     This does remind me of the pot of cool water the frog is in and as the fire burns below the pot and slowly heats up the water the frog is oblivious to it because of the slow rate of heat the water is gaining. Much like with putin in Ukraine, as his troops keep dying and he keeps lying to them the supply of fresh Russian young men keeps accumulating for their inevitable end much like the fate of the frog. In the survival evolution of frogs one of them will eventually discover the heat gain and jump out of the pot. So it will be with the Russian people, eventually one of them will realize that the slaughter of their own will only stop when putin cannot send them to continue to invade Ukraine.
     Waiting on the Kremlin to act is looking more like a fantasy as putin has had time to install his people there that will no doubt protect him from any internal harm, yet one can still hope. The people of Russia will have to take on the burden of cleansing their society of the psychos who currently run it. The era of Alexei Navalny is now and the sooner he is freed from putin's prison the quicker Russia can start to rehabilitate itself. This daily invasion of Ukraine is insane and for the love of life must be stopped and to be stopped putin will have to be stopped!

(#4985) trump and putin must be gone!

      The problems of the world right now center on these two corrupt inhumane pieces of shit. They are not worthy of human rights since they have no regard for the human rights of others. An eye for an eye approach. Since so many are unable to separate themselves from their preferred religions then at least apply some of the logical principles and common sense they espouse. Both of these lower life forms called putin and trump are in the process of destroying lives at will. The only way to stop them from doing so is to hold them accountable to the rule of law and in putin's case the rule of the jungle he has created.
     We are closing in on 60,000 Russians killed in Ukraine since the beginning of putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine. So following a leader like him is certain death when the folly of it is in putin's head. With trump he has ignited a base that has no grip on reality and instead holds tight to misogyny and racism. We are not seeing deaths to followers of trump like we are with putin but the devastation to common sense and logic is undermining our ability to do away with harms and fears here in the States. People of color are still being treated like second class citizens and women are being treated like property and not free human being individuals by trump and his republican party.
     Doing away with putin will not only save the Russian people from devastating human losses but it will stop the murderous killing of Ukrainians who are the target of putin's murderous plot. Both putin and trump are what ails our planet and finding a way to stop both of them is what will make us a planet worthy of enlightenment and courage. We don't need the worst of who we are as human beings telling us what to do and when to do it. We need the best of who we are leading us into the future where science, logic, and common sense are the rule and not the exception. Let us get the ending of putin and trump done so that our planet can move on into its better and best future.

(#4984) Yesterdays missed blog post

      Okay, after missing a blog post just not long ago I am coming to the conclusion that it is time to taper down from posting everyday and instead post when I really feel the need to do so. I will not change yet though as I am approaching the 5,000th post from this blog. But soon after that don't expect to see a daily post and I will change the title from daily blog post to something I have not yet determined. This post will be short just to notify of an upcoming change. Getting old sucks and so does not remembering to do the things I like to do. Carl.

(#4983) Tyranny is unraveling all over the world

      When the history books are written about this time it will center on Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Joseph Biden. Because of the actions of these two men the nature of our world previous to February 24, 2022 will forever have changed. The fierceness of the Ukrainian people and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy plus the sheer will of President Joe Biden through NATO will have laid a blueprint for overcoming dictators and tyrants. First never back down from a bully and second fight like your life is at stake. With these twin concepts fully engaged the likes of putin and other tyrants around the world will be neutered if not outright replaced with democratic leaders who want what the west is expressing.
     Power, respect, and decency all combined into one. There is no other form of government that has the rights of its citizens so ingrained into its core and no other form of government can command the righteousness of resolve. All other forms of government are through coercion or hatred. Since they are not principled in honor and the nobility of happiness they cannot succeed when confronted by forces that are. To quote Nathan Hale once again, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." You don't get that mindset from authoritarian or monarchical societies. You only get that mindset from freedom loving patriots of democracy.
     So sensing the unrest in other large nations that are not democratic is the impetus here and although the death throes of tyranny are evident the rattle may last for some time. However the path forward in our evolution as a governing species is that democracy is the only way we all get to be part of finding our happiness while also respecting the happiness of others. A truly wonderful time to be alive but also a dark time as many are dying fighting for this very same democracy or being forcibly led to death by those who oppose democracy. Such is our timeline in human history that bad people can still define the nature of too many lives. Long live democracy and a quick death to all tyrants!

(#4982) Move past fear and confront the unacceptable

      A friend on Facebook gave us all a little reminder about how to confront wrong head on. He stood up for a weaker soul who was being verbally abused by a racist. He stuck his nose in and forced the offender to focus on him. that is what courage does. He took the heat off the victim and put it directly on himself. A fine example of what to do when confronted with the darker nature of life. Sure the thing he did could have all gone haywire as I was informed that the offender pulled a pistol. Yet it didn't likely because the hero in this story also had a pistol ready for use.
     Regardless, whether guns are present, doing what is correct is the solution and however that plays out is our fate. We can either shy away from our duty to be honest decent persons and let the bullies of the world overtake our societies or we can stand up and not give an inch in the defense of democratic principles. None of us knows the fate we are slated for when the time for our lives is recounted. Yet we also cannot put ourselves in some kind of safety bubble that mostly ensures that our lives will be as sedate and secure as we would like. Life is not like that. Life is safe most of the time but it is also a gamble, frequently enough to require us to prepare for those times when we are needed to protect and be dutiful to honor and respect.
     None of us deserves to be accosted because we are not all the same skin color, wealth, gender, or nationality. None of these differences allows for us to be diminished as human beings. So when someone is bullying someone else who cannot fight back then we must offer ourselves as an alternative to the bully. Most times we find that the bully will back down because bullies don't like fair fights. That is why they are bullies. They only pick on those who are weaker than themselves. So move past fear and do the right thing even if by doing that right thing lands you in a difficult situation where life and death outcomes are not known. I am not telling anyone to do anything that my Facebook friend Steven did but his example should be our first choice when facing the same circumstance.

(#4981) Can't win for losing

      If we weren't losing we would be winning. It is that simple, so let us stop losing as a default and kick it into another gear and start winning. Here is how we stop losing. We vote for democrats in the upcoming elections and not just some of us but all of us! Everyone who is legally of age to vote should be voting. I don't care about excuses just results. The one thing our democracy needs from us is to participate in how we are governed. It is once every 2 years we fill out a ballot and hand it in. Real simple and very efficient especially with the ease of mail in voting.
     Then after voting we can go about our lives without a further care in the world ass to being interrupted from our own plans for our lives. That is what democracy gives us if we vote to keep it. Otherwise the alternative to democracy, unelected rule by some strongman or a group of wealthy, will fill the void. So talk about meddling into the lives of our citizenry, authoritarianism will be ordering us around constantly while restricting our rights and freedoms. So complain to me about having to vote once every 2 years so I can straighten you out on what a real complaint is all about.
     We have the perfect opportunity coming in November to crush the republican party and remove it from obstructing our protocols for solving problems. We need to settle this confusion from republicans once and for all. They need to be removed from office and then the democratic party can begin to forward policies that the majority of our nation has been clamoring for since I was a young child. The failure of republicans to represent the majority of Americans is long time evident and clearly the case. So let us start winning by not voting for the loser republicans who only want democracy to fail so that they can stay in power for the rest of infinity.

(#4980) Ok, last weather related post for awhile

      We here in Sacramento, and California generally, just went through one the the hottest spells of heat in a week we have ever had. Follow that up with a rain drenching storm that lasted all over California for two days, I can say that the weather is now turning to somewhat normal for this time of year. The temperatures the last two days have been in the mid seventies and for that I am grateful. But over the next week in Sacramento, if things hold to weather reports, the last of the 90 degree temperatures will play out before the end of  September. I am usually very excited about temps leaving the 100 degree plateau but now I get to add to that temps leaving the 110 degree plateau.
     It has been a hot and uncomfortable summer, so when the temps are going down my enthusiasm is going up. Life is much easier to live in when the temperatures are in the eighties and that is what is predicted for next month in October. Even better are temperatures in the seventies which November foretells. I have a Facebook friend who posts pretty much daily the time of light each day has. So when the days are getting shorter I again perk up and feel much more alive. Because shorter days means that the temperatures are going down. Now in December the temps are going to average in the fifties and although that is a bit cool it is easily managed.
     My big takeaway of this post is that the days of heat in the nineties is about a week away from being over and the eighty degree temps are on their way. You could probably tell from this post that I am an older person since I don't long for the summer months. That would be true because when I was young and willing to go anywhere and do anything that beat the heat and had lots of water I would be there. But those days of adventure are over for me so complaining about the heat is about all I can do about it except one very important thing.. I need to vote on November 8th for every democrat on the ballot so I can help us get a large enough majority to tackle climate change and stop the even more intense heat about to come our way.

(#4979) Yesterdays rain was magnificent

      I know it is only rain I am talking about here but the feel of it coming down hard on my upraised face was precious. I don't know how many more times I will get to stand out in a deluge of rain coming down hard and just feel it on my face. I had often taken rain for granted and unconsciously cursed it for ruining my day of pleasure or outside work. But now well into the last half of my life I see rain as such a gift. Especially now with climate change bearing down on us hard. I even think about how many more times we here in California will get the expected totals during the lessening of our traditional rainy season.
     Is our future such that with climate change influencing weather patterns so much that a shift from about 20 inches a year here in Sacramento when I was growing up to lesser amounts is not an unreasonable assumption. We are smart enough to send men to the Moon but we can't seem too come together to adjust our way of life to protect our planet from heating up. It is a sad commentary that too many who are more concerned with dirty profits are winning the messaging war and keeping us on track to force our planet to punish us with coming harsh realities.
     What used to be a consideration for our future generations is now gone and those who are the political movers and shakers in our economic driven societies are indifferent to the future if it doesn't align with their needs now. As our planet continues toward a reckoning that is too far removed from many of us to imagine, here is a little reality. Our planet is going to get warmer. Shorelines on our coasts are going to go under water because the extra heat expands the water in the oceans which makes the oceans rise. We who are in previous fertile valleys are going to see less non salt water available for growing crops and prices will increase because of it. The ramifications of climate change are just being touched upon here but over time No one will need to be explained its effect because it will be right in front of everyone's face.

(#4978) In person absentee voting starts in 4 days in Minnesota and South Dakota.

      That's right, you can begin early voting in Minnesota and South Dakota in 4 days with in person absentee voting. What is also happening today is you can pick up an absentee ballot in Pennsylvania and start filling it out and mailing back. In 5 days you can start voting in Vermont as well as in Virginia and Wyoming. The election is here folks so do not wait if you are in a state that offers early voting. There can be no excuse for not voting when all this time is afforded us to vote. This election is too important not to do our civic duty and either register now and then vote, or vote if you are registered.
     The republican party is counting on our voters to shrug off voting this cycle because it isn't a presidential election year. That is there strategy, for people not to vote. Our strategy is to increase our House and Senate seats so that at minimum we negate the offensive filibuster rule and begin to pass far reaching legislation that can have a major impact on our society. We also need to vote straight democratic ticket in our respective states. The republican party has been steam rolling state legislatures into their own private puppets and that has to stop. No more can we have republicans controlling all the state wide elected positions and then pass egregious laws that offend and undermine democracy!
     To reiterate, Pennsylvanians can pick up their absentee ballots today, fill them out and send them back in. On Friday, both Minnesota, and South Dakota can start filling out and sending in their absentee ballots. The very next day, Saturday, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming will also begin to fill out and send in their absentee ballots. The election is here now so over the next 50 days until November 8th, make sure you know when and how to vote in your state. I will post a link to early voting here, https://www.vote.org/early-voting-calendar/. Remember to vote for all democrats on your ballot. We cannot give any republican a single vote of ours because all they do with our votes is use it against us like a deadly weapon!

(#4977) It has been awhile since we've had rain

      I went to sleep last night almost giddy about the coming rain today. I had hoped it would show up earlier and I would awaken to the sounds of rain hitting my rooftop. But no such luck and if you know me you know I get up early in the States on the west coast so as to keep up with the news from the east coast. So even my early morning hasn't yet had the sound of rain hitting the rooftop or anywhere else. I got my outside chores done as well battened down all the things outside that would be effected by rain and wind. I sit here now at my laptop in anticipation of the first drops of rain to show up.
     The weather map shows that by 8 this morning, in about 35 minutes, there is a 63% chance of rain. So really any minute now the water from the sky should happen. For me it is almost like being part of a celebration. I will be outside as soon as I hear or see raindrops. I want to do my rain dance jig before it starts coming down too hard. lol. It is funny as I get older just how much I enjoy these natural moments more than any of our man made ones. I suppose I am feeling my mortality with every sore spot or weakness that I now have. I am only 67 but believe me I have lived a pretty crazy life so even lasting this long is a bonus. Living life hard and fast when I was young was probably the right thing for me. Because I know how difficult it is to physically enjoy life now that I am older.
     So waiting for the much needed rain to show up is a real highlight for me. I know how badly we need the rain and am grateful that we are going to get some today and tomorrow. I don't take anything for granted anymore, not even rain when we as humans are so hell bent to destroy our environment in the name of economic capitalism gone amok. Yet that is the path we are on so as I draw down on the end of my days I will cherish what our planet has provided while I am alive and although I won't be around too much longer I will keep fighting to get us back the environment that I also inherited. But for today the water from the sky is my focus and feeling it on my face will be a joy for me.

(#4976) The gift of democracy is priceless

      There is no other value that I can place on democracy than to say it is priceless. The reason being is the effort and resolve that is needed to procure it is immense and chock full of hardship and pain. You can easily see an example of that by watching what the Ukrainian people are enduring, First off they had to decide as a society that democracy was worthy of dying for. Let us pause here and examine that part. The Ukrainians have already known what it is what like living under the heavy influence of an occupying force. The Crimea peninsula and Donbas region were effectively annexed by Russia in 2014 and were under the authority of the tyrant putin.
     So up close and personally they know what authoritarianism can do to their lives and society. Having for a short time in history experienced some of what democracy is, they were able to conclude which route they wanted for their future. They overwhelmingly chose democracy. Then came putin to tell them that what was left of their nation could no longer exist ass a sovereign nation. That was the pin being pulled from the grenade similar to our own Boston Tea party stand. The explosive response to the Russian dictator putin, who had amassed a huge military force at their border, was to fuck off! So at that moment democracy became Ukraine's rallying cry for self determination.
     When you are willing to fight to the death to protect your way of life you are truly worthy of the gift of democracy. Those who take democracy for granted and cower from fighting to protect it are the ones who allow for dictators and authoritarianism to flourish. Not in this case with Ukraine. They, for most all of them, are willing to fight to the death to preserve the freedom and liberty democracy demands. Which is why the gift of democracy is priceless. Because there is no cost not worth spending to protect and advance it. Too many who have fought and died are our reminders that nothing in this world is free and if anyone who lives is not aware of this then we must make them understand!

(#4975) This current leadership iteration of Russia needs to be rooted out!

      Do not think for one second that the Russian leadership is decent or respectful. It is not, which is why putin has not yet been deposed. The kremlin which is what I call the putin backstop is just as demeaning and ruthless as putin himself. Much like how the maga here are mini trumps. In essence they are the same and with Russia, putin and his kremlin puppet masters are one and the same. I am trying hard to be thorough about linking putin with the kremlin in the same manner as with trump and his maga cult. They are joined at the ignorance inflection point where their hearts and minds should be. So there is no negotiating or debating either together or apart as they are the same.
     So the kremlin is not to be given any deference as to being somehow neutral from putin, they are the same. So the invasion of Ukraine is not only putin's blunder it is the blunder of the kremlin as well. Ending putin and his ego is part of the solution because the other part is the kremlin and their secret and dishonest avoidance of blame. Both must be taken down and banished in however form from civil duty. Both need to be held to account for their combined effort to eradicate Ukraine through war crimes. Russia is still a brutal society that is held together through fear and reprisal. Any solution to the Ukraine invasion by Russia that defeats Russia must not stop until the kremlin is emptied of its cancerous root.
     The time for cleansing Russia is at this moment and in the coming months. Ukraine is poised to recapture its stolen land from Russia and to chase the Russian horde all the way back to Moscow where the sniveling lowlifes in the kremlin reside. It is what needs to be done to root out what is filthy and corrupt about this tyrannical nation and give it a chance to renew a better place in the world. A place where they can become decent and respected for their effort to purge themselves of disease and then inoculate themselves from future contamination. The time is now and we as the world need to help Ukraine change the course of Russian history.

(#4974) With all the seriousness needed for this moment the trump clown show must end!

      Whatever the cost, the trump shitshow must end! We are all tired of the conman using our democracy for his grift! He has committed so many crimes that he has shifted out of that a weariness is settling in on us and our expectations of actually arresting and convicting his ass! How much more will we have to endure before law enforcement does its job and arrests him for 100's of alleged crimes? I say alleged only because he hasn't had his day in court yet but when he finally does the alleged goes away. He is also keeping alive the false narrative that he has been harmed when he is the one harming!
     The world needs our attention and not his madness. Ending the murderous reign of putin is top priority and standing down xi in China not far behind. But instead our focus is convoluted with the crazy that trump instills. The sooner he is given his due the sooner we can move on to the real business of making our democratic society more inclusive to pursuing happiness for all. We can't get there while the conman trump is still free to roam around and spread his backwash. The rule of law is supposed to be for all regardless of station or title. There is no dispensation here for any person who may be suffering under the illusion that they are privileged and above the law.
     Our society is in need of economic measures aimed at reducing the harm that trickle down economics has caused over the last 4 plus decades. To hear republicans talk about the current economic troubles you would think that republican policies had nothing to do with it. However that would be a false assumption. If it isn't a tax break for the wealthy or a reduction in laws and regulations that keep us safe and secure then the republicans are against everything else. So inaction by republicans allows for harms that exist to fester and become dangerous and life threatening. The republican party is not a party of the majority of Americans it is a party of a few wealthy that don't mind skirting laws and continuing the working middle poor class suffering.

(#4973) The battle for democracy in Ukraine and in the States!

     In Ukraine the battle for democracy involves repelling an invasion by a tyrant. In the States we are going to be voting to keep our democracy. The battle is much more real for Ukrainians because life and death are on line whereas here in the States our national constitution is the only thing that will die if things don't go well with our midterm vote. So we Americans in the States have an easier road to hoe so to speak as all it requires is for the many of us to vote starting in 10 days in Minnesota and South Dakota where early voting begins.
     In 10 days time the Ukrainians may well have recaptured most of its occupied territories and be well on its way to ending the nightmare putin invasion. In 10 days time the first chance for we Americans in the states to save our democracy begins. Many states follow quickly soon after so the election officially begins in 10 days. The timing of two nations working at different paradigms to save democracy is not only coincidental but existential. How we as humans decide to build our societies will be impacted by who wins these two battles. It looks to be that the Ukrainians are doing their part magnificently, against the odds by the way, to save democracy while we Americans are fighting uphill to accomplish the same.
     But the wind is at the backs of we liberal/progressive/independents and if the course of the current mood holds the States may well claim democracy's victory on November 8th over anti democratic forces. Time will tell but as momentum is riding high in Ukraine the same can be felt here on the ground in the United States. As the Ukrainian people are all in on saving their democracy so should we here in the States be. Ukrainians fight to win and as such we Americans need to all vote to keep our democracy. We must be all in or the best of what a society can be will fall to the brutish dictators of the world and freedom, fairness, and opportunity will cease to exist for the vast majority of us.

(#4972) The inhumanity of the Kremlin is there for all to see!

      The Kremlin had a chance at the beginning of this invasion of Ukraine to put a stop to putin and reverse Putin's agenda. But no, they chose to side with him and let him destroy Russian and Ukrainian treasure and blood. Several months after they could have stopped him when the military strategy to take Kyiv failed miserably. They sat back and let putin define the narrative that he didn't really want to take Kyiv anyway. Now as the Ukrainian counter offensive is slaughtering Russian soldiers and destroying countless Russian military assets the ghouls in the Kremlin are still sitting on their hands.
     The rot in the Kremlin is being exposed daily and even the Russian citizens are starting to notice despite the propaganda aimed at them through putin controlled media. If there is one thing that has become evident it is that when putin is finally dispatched, the Kremlin must follow him. The Kremlin has shown itself to be nothing but a lapdog to putin and as such has no redeeming qualities worth saving. A new Russia will need to appear after the final Ukrainian bullet has been fired. As an institution the Kremlin has been corrupted and neutered as a serious entity. Replacing it with a modern, intelligent, democratic minded people is the only way to salvage the necessity of any part of it.
     It is my hope that Alexei Navalny is freed from prison and allowed to run in the next democratic election that Russia will eventually need to hold. There is no going back to putin and his acolytes. There is no room in Russia for people who would be tyrants instead of good stewards to the long suffering ill informed Russian people. The Ukrainian people will be a beacon to Eastern European countries and following their lead will greatly enhance all of that region. For now the Russian people are going to be prevailed upon by the misinformation of putin and the Kremlin and hopefully for not much longer.

(#4971) The Ukrainian rout of putins continues...

      This putin invasion of Ukraine for all practical purposes is over. But of course not in the mind of putin who is trying to stave off the inevitable. Much like a football team being up by 58 points with 3 seconds left in the game and the other side just won't stop and take a knee on their next snap of the football. I get that defeat is hard to take and wanting to spend every ounce of energy to avoid defeat is more natural than not. However in sports you live to see another day, not so in war where death is the result of the "plays" maneuvers and there is no getting anyone back from death.
     The best thing that could happen is a total surrender from the Russian troops in Ukraine and not one more shot fired by them. Yet even as I type this putin is trying to put more reserves on the field for their deaths. There is political unrest from the Kremlin and several generals are refusing to follow putin orders. Yet is that enough to end the reign of putin and the madness of the Ukrainian invasion? So far we have seen limits reached and then new limits extended so I don't expect those who support putin to change their positions, unless of course one or more do and successfully pull off a coup.
     In the meantime however the Russian forces are being killed and surrendering in numbers never anticipated by putin or his supporters. So something will have to give, either there are thousands more Russian souls left in the dirt in Ukraine or thousands will surrender and give up to the knowledge that dying for putin is absurd. The Russian people and the Russian army were lied to by putin to start and support this invasion and now that enough time has passed to show and expose that lie, those who need to make another choice the time is right now. The defeat of Russia in Ukraine is a foregone conclusion and now would be a smart move for the Russian army and the Kremlin to take a knee!

(#4970) Over 2,000 square kilometers, 772 square miles, regained by Ukraine at the end of yesterday since earlier this week

     The Ukrainian counteroffensive has been a huge success so far. It is not over yet and the assessments are being made on the fly as it were. So just keeping up with the attack mode that the Ukrainian forces are in high gear at is a difficulty happily dealt with. Because regardless of the totalness of the rout, the rout is the main thrust of the subject. And the rout is on. There are rumblings in Moscow as well about how this turn of events is playing out. The ineptness of the Russian/putin failed plan to make Ukraine a non existence is as evident as the nose on putins face.
     How he survives this will be a story for another time but if he doesn't survive, the reason will be the unending relentless spirit of both brawn and brain from the Ukrainian people. Sure the west gave them weapons to use but the Ukrainians used them proficiently. I suspect that the west also aided in logistics and strategy but once again it is the fighting spirit of the Ukrainian people that put all of that into a well oiled cohesive action. Ukraine is representing what is best about our humanity while exposing Russian acts of brutality and cruelty, that which is worst about humanity.
     The amazing surge in force by Ukraine to recapture their homeland is not done and hopefully by next week a greater recapture of Crimea will be on my pages here. Nonetheless, what is happening now is a change in the world order as Russia is showing its inability to lead while Ukraine is displaying everything about how to lead. The end of the Russian domination of Eastern Europe is happening now and although Russia is fighting to save its butt in Ukraine don't be surprised if other hotspots on Russia's borders heat up. Russia has blundered badly and for that they are about to pay a price that none of them saw coming!

(#4969) Two tyrants are going down

      Yes, trump is a tyrant! We have already seen the tyranny of putin. Both are going down in the next little while and the world will be better for it. Once the most obvious tyrants are dealt with then the lesser tyrants will come into world focus. Because if tyranny is allowed to exist in any form then we all suffer from it. But for now it is a priority that both putin and trump are removed from the political stage and made to answer for their numerous and heinous crimes. Both are the heads of their respective deadly snake bodies and the only way to deal with a deadly snake is to take away its threat.
     As each day unfolds in Ukraine we see how quickly and efficiently that the Ukrainians are dispatching the Russian horde of their lives and armaments. The same can be said in a different light about trump. With each passing day we see him emasculated through the courts if not thoroughly then eventually. That trump is still gasping for relevancy is only temporary much like those judicial figures that aid him against all logic. Same with putin. His backers are in the background allowing putin to continue to destroy Russia while condoning his actions. Both putin and trump are so far removed from reality that they think they are above the law.
     Well most tyrants do think that they are above the law but throughout all recorded modern history none has shown themselves to be able to actually prove it. They always fail because they cannot protect themselves from good men/women who do something about it. The fighting spirit of the Ukrainians overshadows all the noise from the tyrants because we normal people are beholden to those who display courage when courage is difficult. The putins and trumps of the world are bullies and as such cannot inspire greatness among the many of us. Which is why they will always fail and we who fight against them will prevail.

(#4968) Another 650 Russian troops killed yesterday

      This is crazy what putin is doing in Ukraine. He is letting the youth of his nation die off while he does nothing but lose more ground that he stole from Ukraine. How can the powers in the Kremlin keep letting the smug dictator putin continue to destroy the future of Russia? For what? When Crimea falls back to it's rightful owners the Ukrainians and the Donbas also comes back home to Ukraine what will all of this have cost Russia so that putin can exercise his ego? Nearly 52,000 Russian troops dead all for the lust of putin to satisfy his derangement.
     If the people in the Kremlin won't stop putin then the people of Russia must. Not only putin but all those in the Kremlin who are doing nothing to keep the youth of Russia alive. In Ukraine they are nothing more than dead young men walking and most of them know it. The morale within Russian forces in Ukraine is low and to keep alive when the Ukrainians are determined to reclaim their land the morale is critical. Yet putin and his allies in the Kremlin seem to not care about the lives of their countrymen as much as they care about the designs they have on other people's property.
     Ukraine made major advances yesterday on the long front they are contesting and the Russian troops are being liquidated at increasingly alarming rates. The days of putin thinking he could conquer Ukraine are over. Now all is left is the fighting to remove Russia from it's borders. How many more young Russian men will be used up to dust for one small minded man's ego? My guess is that the loss of Russian life is not a concern for putin and his accomplices as long as putin can pretend to be winning. The Russian people need to stop believing their fairy tale telling dictator and put an end to him killing off their children.

(#4967) 640 more Russian troops died yesterday in Ukraine

      So 460 Russian troops died on Tuesday combined with yesterdays total of 640 we get 1100 Russian troops dead because putin is a maniacal ego driven murderer. He will destroy the youth of his nation without a thought to the hopes and dreams they may have had. It is all about putins hopes and dreams of destroying those who would not bow down before him. He is a monster who has been given free reign in Moscow to attempt to appease his hideous genocide of Ukraine. The deaths of these young Russians overall in Ukraine is over 51,000. How many more will putin be allowed to kill for his fancy by the powers that be in the Kremlin.
     I don't only hold putin responsible for this slaughter of Russian blood but the inner workings of the Kremlin that allow putin to continue. There should have been a coup immediately following the failure to capture Kyiv. But no, the ghouls in the Kremlin chose not to disturb their murderous errand boy from his devilish delights. As the Ukrainian offensive continues the totals for dead Russian soldiers will increase each day. All those mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, wives and children will have lost family members who hadn't even started living their lives yet because putin and his masters are cruel and brutish.
     The horror of this all will eventually end but the saddest part is that a lot of young Russian deaths will be in vain. There is no hope of Russia taking any land from Ukraine and so all will be for naught except the pleasure putin and his masters have enjoyed along the way. To me this is the great crime of my lifetime with so much at stake. The defense of democracy in our world must be stout and hearty which in Ukraine no better example of that defense exists. Even here at home in the States, fascists are working overtime to undermine our democracy but we here are not so unfortunate as to have to put lives on the line to protect it, yet!

(#4966) How many more Russian troops can be liquidated before putin is stopped from within?

      The powers that be in the Kremlin seem to be okay with the daily death tolls of their troops. The number each day is growing and even today it is reported that over 460 more Russian troops met their deaths. You can only imagine that twice that many are being wounded. With over 50,000 reported dead you can only surmise that over 100,000 have been wounded. The Russian military is being decimated as each day proceeds and if anything the Russian occupiers are losing ground as well. When will the masters of the Kremlin step in and wave the white flag over putins folly?
     As well as each new day comes the Ukrainian spirit is lifted even higher as they see the light at the end of this tunnel. They have done what needed to be done with an impressive foresight into how to defeat the invading Russian horde. What is apparent to me is the strength that Ukraine will have going forward as it is already reverberating throughout Europe and the rest of the world. What a magnificent example of a people who are willing to have their lives end than become a puppet of putin. Freedom is not free and Ukraine is showing the world how to pay for it.
     As to Russia, what a sorry lot they are. Rather than stop and admit that they were wrong in their effort to overwhelm the Ukrainian fighting spirit and instead acknowledge that they are not the masters of their visions of domination, they choose to continue down the road of putin's ego. Well they will all swirl the drain with putin but in the meantime they will be their own undoing. Because it won't take much longer for Russian society to say enough of our boys being killed in Ukraine for nothing to show for it. Crimea will fall and the Donbas will be free of Russian occupiers soon after. All that will be left is a mass of death and destruction on the blood and treasure of Russia.

(#4965) More than 50,000 Russian troops dead and over 2,000 Russian tanks destroyed

     This is the legacy of putin. If anyone thought before the putin invasion of Ukraine that Russia would be saddled with these numbers they would have been labeled crazy. That is just how astonishing these results are. The Ukrainian armed forces and the western allies are equally to be applauded but to me it is the fighting spirit of the Ukrainian people that has made this happen. The will to win no matter what the cost is the wild card here. The instantaneous President Zelenskyy rebuke of putin at the beginning set the stage and then the brave Ukrainian forces on Snake Island that told putin to fuck off set the tone for all that has come since.
     This moment in time is just a reflection point. 50,000 Russian soldiers dead. Let that sink in for a minute. All these men were breathing air not 7 months ago. But for putin it is not enough. He will add to these totals as the days linger on into weeks and months if he is not stopped. Those 2,000 tanks that are no longer are another indication of just how badly this putin murderous invasion has proceeded. He has lost more than 7,500  armament and logistical equipment. In total Ukraine has destroyed about 10,000 mobile pieces of military equipment.
     When put into perspective of the goal of putin to take Ukraine in about 3 days to a week, it seems absurd and foolish that putin would have blundered so badly in his calculations. But it isn't just about numbers for him. Whether he took Ukraine in less than a week or if it takes him a lifetime, he will not stop until he has accomplished his goal. So either the Ukrainian military forces have to stop putin or the Kremlin has to stop putin. But one of those ways will be the final solution to this epic Waterloo moment for putin. An end of the Ukrainian invasion is foreseeable with all lands back into Ukrainian control. What happens to putin before or after that is easily surmised.
     

(#4964) Ukraine routing Russians

      When putin is calling for a cease fire we know what that means. He is losing right now and wants the losing to stop so he can refortify his positions so that they slow down or stop the losing. Well we all know the tricks of putin. What he needs to do is withdraw his troops out of Ukraine and stop killing off the young folks of Russian society. He has already lost nearly 50,000 troops to death and many more to wounded and disabled. How much longer will the Kremlin leaders allow putin to keep not only getting Russians killed by the many hundreds per day but holding up Russia to world humiliation?
     It seems that the power in the Kremlin is as bad as putin and will put up with this until their lives are threatened. So be that as it may the Ukrainian forces will make Russia give back the seized Ukrainian territory and then make demands on Russia to reduce it's presence in the region. It is a complete turnaround from back in February of this year when putin thought he was king of the world. Now he will be nothing but a nefarious footnote in the annals of time and history. What a downfall by a tyrant who couldn't even protect his own homeland.
     Each passing day now the Ukrainian forces are moving closer to liberating Kherson then Crimea with only the Donbas to follow. Then Ukraine will have back it's sovereignty and Russia will have mud on its face. The end of the current form of the Russian Federation is about to begin and how it plays out will be worth viewing. Especially if Alexei Navalny can make a difference. President of Ukraine Zelenskyy has shown Europe what a true leader of a free nation looks like so the pattern is there for all to emulate. President Biden has done the same for the Americas and in short order our world will be in better hands than when putin decided to end his own reign back in February.

(#4963) Finding my peace in a world that fights me

      I am one of those who has great reverence for peace. I wish nothing but peace on those who would do the same. But our world is not full of those like us. Instead there are too many who are obsessed with causing strife and chaos. I suppose it can all be boiled down to a couple of things. First the inequality in our economic system drives too many to bitterness and disregard for peace. Second there are those who have mental disorders like psycho/sociopathic natures. The first we can change and make better, the second is not within our purview at the moment.
     When our societies are not being subdued into forms of subjugation then peace has a real chance to blossom. But when economics are so bad for so many and not for others the chasm between the two forms of existence creates a friction that will never allow peace to flourish. So we have to jigger our forms of opportunity in order to bring more into the possibilities for the pursuit of happiness. Because when it does reach the bottom line about peace, economics come front and center unless of course it is about keeping our democracy or trying to form one.
     I have lived long enough to know that the finances of our people are what keeps us in our comforts and necessities. The bare bones reality of a pursuit of happiness has to have a foundation of economic possibilities. If all I have to hope for is to just exist and nothing much more than that will not keep me in peace. It will instead stoke the flames of my discontent to no end. I am not born to live a life of servitude so that I can hopefully endure while others are exempt from any such worries. Contrary to what many think, life is not a game to be played with winners and losers. Sure it is that way now but the now is not what our hopes and dreams are based upon. Life is an experience to be shared with an equity to it that starts at all of our foundations.

(#4962) Yesterday's forgotten post

      Short makeup for yesterday as I completely forgot to write a post. I got busy doing my usual Saturday morning chores and spaced out the fact that I hadn't written my daily blog post. I know why and it is because when I sat down to write about a subject no subject came to mind. Sure there are lots of good subjects currently floating around us but none of them just stuck out like a sore thumb for me yesterday morning. A kind of writer's block. Yet when those situations arise I am able to push myself beyond any block and end up with a pretty good blog post.
     Well yesterday I didn't and now for the 5th time in the history of me writing a daily blog post, for more than 13 and a half years, I have missed a whole day. But like the previous 4 missed blog posts I write a makeup post the very next day. What the previously missed daily blog posts had in common with this one was some physical ailment I was feeling the day of the missing blog post. This time it was an after effect from having a particularly difficult molar pulled that had been causing me pain for more than a half year. You would think that having the tooth pulled would actually stop the pain but not in this case. It is like the there is a ghost tooth there and the gum area where the tooth was is still feeling stress and giving me pain.
     No excuses though on any of the missed blog post days that are worthy of me being forgiven for not keeping to my daily schedule. I knew when I started doing a daily blog post protocol that I was going to need to be diligent and faithful to it like I would a treasure. Well we are all human and although I try to do my best my best is obviously not sufficient. I still have another blog post to deliver this morning so I will end this here with a remorse that is real. I do feel the shortcomings of my life when they occur and will readily admit my faults and inadequacies when others make me aware or I recognize them myself.

(#4961) The blue tide is rising

      The numbers keep getting better for democrats on all fronts. From the political special election wins in underdog fashion, to the economy roaring along with prices dropping, the betterment of our society is a positive for democrats coming into the election. There are still a couple of months to go so things are trending to the good and hopefully will remain so. The republicans had hoped for lousy economic news and special election wins to bolster their claim that a red wave was coming. Historically a red wave would be at least probable under normal circumstances given the party out of power does well in the midterms. But this republican party has been both brutish and divisive so history does not seem to favor them this time.
     They, the republicans, have gone out of their way to alienate women and people of color so blatantly that there egos have caught them out. There will be no red wave this year and in fact it seems that a blue wave is forming. So much so that the prognosticators are having a tougher time trying to convince us that the republicans still hold edges in congressional races this year. But with each special election win by democrats the likelihood of republicans retaking the House is growing less certain. It wasn't but a few months ago that all prognosticators had republicans retaking both chambers of Congress. But quickly that changed when democrats began to open up leads in Senate races thus becoming the favorites in that chamber.
     As to the House, it is a bit of a tougher road to hoe for democrats than in the Senate. State laws and gerrymandering were devised by republicans to give them clear advantages in districts all over the country. Yet, with the disdain many women and people of color have now for them the effect of their nefarious efforts have been lessened but not overcome as of yet. But with continuing good numbers on all fronts for democrats the odds are starting to even out. That is all we need for democrats to succeed is a rising discontent with republicans and their subversive policies and independent voters coming home to the democratic party. Remember also that the republican plan for the economy is to take money from the working middle poor class and give it to the wealthy.

(#4960) If doing what is wrong is legal then the law is wrong!

     A more perfect union comes to mind when I think about how many times we see others commit crimes but are not punished for them. Our legal system at times can be a hindrance to getting justice. The same is true on the inverse when doing something right is illegal, then again the law is wrong. A major overhaul of our justice and legal system is difficult to undertake but in incremental ways can be accomplished. You see Reality Winter do something that was morally and ethically correct in the overall scheme of life and she is punished for her efforts. I get the reasoning of her punishment but not the intent.
     Then you have trump like figures who do their worst and are treated with a favored dispensation that defies reality. Let me be clear here. There is no human being on this planet that deserves anything more from our democracy than any other human being. No one! So making exceptions for some and not for others just slaps democracy in the face hard! The way the trumps strut around defying lawful orders is mind boggling because of some fear of what? I am not a coward who shakes and hides from threats! Instead I fully expect those who are guilty to threaten me and mine whenever it suits them to achieve their agenda. Such is life, but I would rather be me not being a coward then them being suited for a prison cell.
     Eventually our democracy, if it survives, will adjust its laws to better fit the doing right part of living and as well shutting off dispensations for wrongdoers. We will get there but in the meantime the complications of our society notwithstanding; the righting of wrongs has to find a way to be developed for those now, either caught, or purposefully manipulating, in the trap of absurdity. The act of a behavior in context can easily define the intent. We can move forward through common sense and logic to define rationality without have to divine it through magic or wishful thinking. Our modern enlightened society is capable of sorting simplicities when they arise and as well deconstructing complex wrongs when their intent can have no benefit to society.