(#5171) Finally the retribution for trump's crimes

      Yesterday was a significant day. Since nixon, no president had been under so much criminal scrutiny for his behavior before, during, and after his appointed presidency. That nixon escaped criminal trials was only because gerald ford, nixon's appointed successor, pardoned him. There will be no pardon from Joe Biden on behalf of trump and that is the correct stance. No one should have a get out of jail free card when it comes to the rule of law. If we are not a democracy then say so because a democracy demands that all are treated equally when it comes to the laws we live by.
     The current crime trump has been indicted for is a state crime therefore no federal official can pardon trump anyway. He will have to abide by the laws of New York and face his accuser. One Tuesday it is said that trump will turn himself in and be booked for an arraignment. I have no doubt he will be able to post bail and await his trial in freedom. Yet the trial will take place and as I surely suspect no plea deal will be emerging, given trump's evasive attitude from the beginning. It is fair to say that he deserves his day in court to argue his innocence against the evidence the New York Attorney General has accumulated.
     The problem for trump is that the evidence is surely quite convincing and at this stage few could doubt that trump will be found guilty. However the presumption of innocence is assumed and only the evidence will be allowed to convince the jurors that trump is guilty. However, given the wrangling of trump against these charges it would appear even he knows he is going to be found guilty. His behavior has been that of a guilty man and all that is left is the process of proving it beyond a reasonable doubt. Once that occurs the interesting part will be the sentencing and how much time he will have to do under New York's sentencing guidelines.

(#5170) Taking the day to just feel how I feel

      Thursdays are a day off for me these days so in lieu of doing anything, since really nothing is pressing, I am just going to see how I feel. So far, after getting up early, I feel tired and it isn't even 8 in the morning yet. But to just feel the tiredness is not enough. I want to know how deeply tired I am because there are different types of tiredness. Bone tired I know. That is when you could just lay down anywhere and immediately fall asleep. Sore tired is another type. It is when you have exhausted your muscles to the point of pain. That is another type of tired that would knock me right out once I laid down. What I am feeling is neither of those. Instead it is a deep inner tiredness that doesn't necessarily require me to fall asleep quickly.
     What it is though is the kind of tired that needs weeks if not months of rest to overcome. I think it is the kind of tired that I have been building up over years that is finally starting to creep into my every waking moment. I am full up with tiredness and need to relax and rest for a long period of time to get myself back to feeling energized again. I don't know how I can ever relax and rest for a month or two given my constant responsibilities. Yet I do know the cure. So maybe I need to get a little bit of rest where possible and quit creating more opportunities for me to remain tired. My health is the most important thing for me to manage at the moment so it should be a really high priority for me.
     Yet that is not how I am wired. I need to be doing things. I am no procrastinator nor slackard. I have a mind that is constantly humming along and it needs its body to follow through with it. So my dilemma is easily understood. Find a way to convince my mind that resting my body is more important for a time than anything else. This has been an important writing for me today in that it helps me put into clarity the concept that rest is healthy and necessary when it is sorely needed. I can always do things later that I push myself to do and that is okay. I suppose I am of an age now where the production I get out of myself is less important than the time I really need to just sit back and relax. Today I will try to put into place this very concept of getting my mind to help my body get back to a more energized state of being.

(#5169) Democrats solve problems, while republicans encourage problems!

      There is no other way to say this. Calling it what it is, is the only way we can all know what is going on. From guns to high food and energy prices, we democrats are the only party that is working to solve the problems that are causing enormous pain and suffering to our society. We are getting little to no help with trying to find solutions from the republican party. The reason is is that the republicans are not concerned about the deaths of our children from school shootings when weighed against the right to own a killing machine like an AR15. The republican party has taken the side with of the profiteers when they can and do manipulate the market. It seems that the only reason republicans exist is to help the wealthy profit off of the misery of the working middle poor class.
     How they manipulate their lifelong voters into a blind spot that keeps them is some power is beyond me. I know that many republican voters have been loyal to the brand for generations but the difference here is that the republican brand has been devalued while not being affected by voter loyalty. It speaks to an ignorance of cause and effect. Conservatism was a somewhat valid position when it applied itself to budgets and spending. However, conservatism has branched out into social society to work to not deregulate "morality" laws but to regulate them as if they are sacred. By morality laws I mean strict adherence to compulsory acceptance by all. Well morality laws are not natural nor universal.
     I expect that lifestyle issues that many conservative voters hold dearly are the driving force of their insistence at remaining republican voters. Instead of accepting all for their own personal choices of lifestyle the republican party is now holding that only a belief system example of holiness can endure to be our national lifestyle. Forcing round pegs into square holes is the republican philosophy and it is not going over very well with the democratic ideals, logical/common sense crowd. Again, republicans are not problem solvers instead they are problem creators. They need to live and let live as their rule and then join the rest of us and tackle the real problems lacking equity, fairness, justice and equality of opportunity.

(#5168) Into my fourth week back in the workforce

     I am sitting here on a day off as I now reflect back at my fourth week of work. I have gotten past the deer in the headlights phase of trying to understand the basics of what I am tasked to do. I pretty much know my basics now and am into the more nuanced learning of other aspects of how we operate as a company. I work for U-Haul as a transfer driver. That means I take trucks and trailers from one location and move them to another. Not just for having a wide selection of choices for customers but to rotate trucks and trailers in and out for preventative maintenance and repair. I operate out of the preventative maintenance and repair hub.
     So I start my day transferring vehicles and trailers back into operation while bring back vehicles and trailers that need inspections. It is busy work and it is important work. Many of the mechanics at the hub are employed to do these checks and repairs so each time I bring in another vehicle or trailer men keep working. We are all vital in the scheme of keeping vehicles and trailers safe but also in keeping a livelihood available as well. But I see my role as more than just a spoke in the wheel. I also deliver parts to the various auto and body repair outlets that handle specialized work and to our venders who lease the trucks for us. So I am not just transferring vehicles and trailers I am also delivering parts as needed.
     Figuring out the process for how to complete each task was a little tough at the beginning since I was thrust into production with just a minimum amount of training. Yet trial by fire has always been a good teacher for me and respecting those I have to ask advice from is the key. I feel like I am part of the team at U-Haul now because of the need for me to learn and how quickly I picked up the advice several have given me. It is good to say hello to my coworkers when our paths cross so that they know I am approachable and friendly. It is because I keep my good attitude intact. The reason for that is the work is honest and productive. I wouldn't have imagined that social aspect was so important at first but now it is a big part of why I am happy back out in the workforce.
     

(#5167) I am excited for our future

      Despite the murkiness of trump and putin in the world the future after they are removed from society looks bright and democratic. The days of the tyrants are winding down on a world stage scale and although there may be smaller pockets of tyrannical rule even those will begin to fade. The battle for the soul of the world is being played out in Ukraine right now and the good guys in the white hats are kicking the asses of the bad guys in black hats! The main reason is that freedom from oppression is a good thing, Liberty to live as a free human being is a good thing. Having the ability to chose one's own destiny is a good thing. All of these things can be had under a democratic society.
     They cannot be had under tyranny. Which is why tyranny is losing. For there are many more who would fight and die like our grandfathers and grandmothers did in the past to protect democracy. Enlightened thinking is here to stay and no amount of fearmongering will stop our manifest destiny to conquer not only the old ways of earthly thinking but the new challenges of outer space. Technology is here to stay and as such so are innovation and creativity. Only under democracy can enlightenment foster growth and improvement to our maturing societies. Our future is at hand and those who are being born now will help carry that future into an amazing world view existence.
     The diversity we are merging toward will give us such a vision of panoramic sight that our new innovations and creativity will blow the minds of those of us who will live long enough to see. There is no stopping our progress of evolution into a mighty species who can and will eventually steward the nature of our Universe. We are an amazing species who have just begun on the trail of our possibilities. So those who lack the courage to help bring about our development out of some misguided allegiance to fear will not be able to derail what is coming from the many more of us. This battle for our souls is being fought right now and those who fight alongside me to keep our souls free from oppression are my friends and family forever!

(#5166) It is not natural to be racist

      All evidence to the contrary, innocence is natural not racism. When we first start out in life all of life is a wonderment. Nothing about racism, or also for that matter misogyny, is fearful or negative. We inculcate our young toward racist attributes. We even learn our lessons wrong from our own experiences. I had been done in by both paradigms through peer pressure and ignorant understandings. But I rose above such nonsense since neither has the blessing of logic. As a logical human being, I am able to categorize my knowledge into either camp of truth or fallacy. Even when emotion is in the mix.
     As to racism, as a child I was shielded from other races for various reasons, none of which I could control. But as I got older and more able to control my movements and decisions, I found that people of color are no different than me and in many cases were socially better than me. Because I didn't start from a racist attitude, I started with an innocence that gave everyone the chance to show themselves to me first before any relegation to a predetermined judgement. As I learned to be a better human being from my interracial relations, I could easily see that racism is a man made phenomenon and not a natural occurring event. We have to choose to become racist not actually become one through some physical/biological metamorphosis.
     Being afraid of what we don't understand is natural, but not moving past that fear is a choice that too many make because they don't know how or even want to try. But not moving past fear is a symptom of ignorance and failure. Our experiences too often help us to form our early prejudices whether valid or not but our experiences are from the moment not from an overall perspective. Our little worlds are not the know all of everything. They are just a moment in time where the emotion and pent up anger of being discounted as human beings takes form. Once we see the bigger picture our ability to analyze our experiences with a wider scope allows us to see the logic of human understanding from all perspectives. As such we can conclude that racism is not based upon any fact, instead it is based upon our own failure to hold ourselves to account to be better human beings.

(#5165) putins and trumps begone!

      There is no more room on our planet for these two. Well maybe a small square room for each to languish in for what is left of the rest of their days on Earth. No more should they be allowed to travel about causing the kind of grave mayhem they are so inclined to create. I feel dirty even talking about either of them but until they are no more a threat to any living life then I must roll up my sleeves and do that dirty work of haranguing them with all my effort. I know there are others who would step into their shoes and do their worst deeds to us given a chance but we must set the example now with ending the reign of terror each of these two with a harsh response.
     There is no rehabilitating either of these two so only retribution remains as a punishment so let that be the formula for all who would follow their example. The harm each of these two inhumane dead men walking have caused can never be measured back to them in an equal amount. Shame on us for letting them continue their murderous intent for many years without putting an end to it sooner. But later is what we have and later must be now. As to their meted punishment there can only be two to choose from. An end to their lives on Earth or confinement to a cell until they naturally perish. I will accept either in this case.
     Justice must be served to these two if our society is to remain valid. No excuse is available to either of these two to justify their numerous grave deeds. Their decisions to harm at will must never be met with indifference or fear. Both have flaunted the rule of law in order to benefit themselves at the expense of our civilization. If our manifest destiny of moving into our future with enlightenment is ever going to materialize then people like putin and trump need to never be allowed to lead. They are toxic to our cultures and only live to be parasites on our body politics.

(#5164) Ukraine is getting stronger and Russia is getting weaker!

      What point in time will Ukraine become a stronger military foe than Russia? That is my question because with the successes Ukraine is having compared to the defeats Russia is suffering the tipping point is nearly even square now. Russia had a massive military personnel and equipment advantage back in February 2022 so them attacking and invading Ukraine from a military standpoint seemed to be a task that was without much difficulty. Yet it isn't just military strength that prevails in struggles to survive as Ukraine has shown. It is the will to live and fight when the odds are long against the weaker opponent.
     More than a year later the proof of the underdog in the battle is proved as Ukraine has girded itself against the Russians internally within Ukraine and outwardly in the world. The west has supplied Ukraine with enough munitions and equipment to stave off the Russian invasion and now the west is helping Ukraine push the Russian horde out of Ukraine altogether. The steely nerve and fighting will of the Ukrainian citizenry has been a marvel to behold given the reality of what is happening there. The life and death struggle Ukraine is exemplifying has been a rallying cry for all who would defend democracy.
     Even here in the States we see the influence of the Ukrainian resolve to defend democracy spill out into our own political landscape. Those republicans who still side with putin to end Ukrainian democracy are finding that their own little coup here is being rebuffed and demolished through the rule of law. The insurrectionists of January 6, 2020 are being held to account and the political instigators of it are close to being indicted. Democracy is winning where it is being attacked and that my friends that is how it should be. Democracy includes all of it's citizens in the struggle of life whereas the putin's and trump's of the world want to be tyrants over all. All of us are democracy and only a few are tyrants. We democracy loving souls will stop the tyrants wherever they raise their demented attempts to rule!

(#5163) Always do things correctly

      A very important lesson I have learned is that by doing things right, you rarely will have to go backwards to make them right. In other words when you do a task correctly it is done and then the next task is available for you. No matter what the tasks are, in your work life or in your personal life. When we try to take shortcuts to save time or energy we more often than not find that we missed something important and then have to redo the task in order to make it correct. But in redoing we often find the moment has passed and no amount of doing the task correctly a second time will make it as correct than having done it correct the first opportunity.
     For me lessons are often trial and error as much as I wish that was not the case. I sometimes find that logical thinking helps me avoid some trial and error lessons but certainly not enough of the time. In many cases however there is no way of being logical about something without having all the facts or cultural understandings. So for the most part many of us are stuck with trial and error as our teacher. The thing with trial and error is that once a task has been found to be correct, it should always be done the correct way in order to fulfill the task at its premium. When we are not loyal to doing things the correct way once we learn the correct way is when we get into a whole bunch of trouble.
     I find life much more relaxing and confident when I do things correct regardless of the temptations to "save" time through shortcuts. The task may take me longer to do by doing it correctly but in doing it correctly I can never be challenged as to my process. Especially when tasks are complex any missed step along the way could pose foundational errors to the end result. In business you find that there is a method to the creation of process. That process has been calculated to reach certain achievements within a time frame and when that time frame is lengthened due to backtracking, where backtracking was unnecessary, due to shortcutting then we find business being altered to a lesser goal. Keeping to the formula of doing things correct will only enhance the operation, not diminish it.

(#5162) Russia is losing more than a 1,000 troops a day due to death and injury

     I don't know about you but it seems to me that losing that many troops over a period of time is going to decimate the Russian invasion. Not only is Russia losing so many troops per day but they are the elite troops. What will Russia backfill their ranks with? New conscripts going up against the elite troops that Ukraine is burgeoning with? As the promised western weapons are arriving earlier than expected, and the massive losses Russia is experiencing, the tide of this invasion is about to turn. Ukraine has for the most part been holding holding ground against constant Russian assaults since last October. If Russia could not gain ground on Ukraine when they still had a lot of troops then to expect them to gain ground now after suffering so many losses is ludicrous.
     Yet that is the modus operandi of the Russian strategy. Throw all their troops into battle, experience heavy losses and then do the same again. It won't be long before Russia is saddled with the stark reality that they don't have enough troops to keep their invasion going. Meanwhile as Ukraine keeps solid in their defensive positions and building up for their spring offensive, the momentum is all on the side of the Ukrainians. It won't be long before the Ukrainians advance into current Russian held Ukrainian territory and find themselves mowing down what little opposition is left on the bedraggled Russian side.
     The end is near now as Russia is closing in on nearly 170,000 dead troops with few who are able to replace those in experience and knowledge. Within a few weeks the Ukrainian counter offensive will begin and the Russian army such as it is now will have little to offer in resistance. It serves them right for all the arrogance the Russian military brass has shown toward Ukraine. There will be no stopping Ukrainian determination to reclaim all their territory back from Russia and dispel the occupiers from their land. A new day is coming in Europe and for that we can be grateful to the Ukrainian people, its leadership and western resolve to stop putin and his demented tyranny dead in its tracks.

(#5161) No alternative universe for trump or putin

      Try as they may to live in an alternative reality, actual reality is coming for both trump and putin. The rule of law is not as toothless as it has shown itself to be over the last several decades when it comes to lawbreakers who are thought to be above the law. No society on Earth can survive if they claim to be democratic but only punish the most vulnerable. The process of justice may be slow but it is eventual as we are finding. I am not claiming that justice is here, I am claiming that justice is ongoing and if it hits today, tomorrow or next week it is coming. Whether for trump or putin the time is short on their life cards for being free.
     To exist in society there are rules of law that we all contract to obey. To not obey is to challenge society itself. There cannot be a defense for willful breaking of laws. The sense that some have of deserving more than others for no other reason than they are arrogant is not to be bourn! Such is the case with trump and putin. The sooner these two are tried and convicted of their proven actions of criminality the sooner we as a world society of human beings can return to more productive actions of growth. Having to spend time on containing the boundaries of civilized behavior is important but no more important than positive reinforcement and advancing all of our opportunities to exist in a better world.
     If today produces a result that justifies the rule of law then good for all of us. If it doesn't happen today then another day will suffice. Reality is where we all live whether we want an alternative reality to be our home. I want my own alternative reality but in that one I have super powers and can fly. I am no luster of what is not mine, I want a utopia that has everyone smiling because they are happy. Some of us know what a true alternative reality is to our souls and others not so much. Regardless we only have reality to live in and making it the best reality is something we can all do. We start by making sure all are living in it and not some fantasy where they think they are the masters of us!
     

(#5160) Try he might to save himself, putin is done for

      The latest little face saving trip to Crimea is not going to affect the outcome of this invasion putin started and is losing in Ukraine. Acting like he is a statesman is funny on so many levels, especially since the International Criminal Court in the Hague has issued an arrest warrant for him. He has abducted Ukrainian children in violation of international law. He can be tried in absentia if he refuses to recognize the validity of the court. Which will happen since he has already said he doesn't recognize the court's authority. What this means though is that all the countries that do recognize the International criminal Court as legitimate he will be able to be arrested if he sets one foot in their territories.
     So in 123 nations putin is not going to be able to travel. Which makes life tough for a criminal leader of a nation not to be able to travel. The countries he can travel to are not as civilized as the 123 so his options for statesmanship are very limited. So are his options for hiding. He is a marked man and putin knows it now. His invasion has been pushed back and stalled all across the front lines. He is facing a challenge from the leader of the wagner mercenary group who would happily replace him if given or he takes the opportunity. Such is the life as a tyrant, there are no rules of law that govern to protect his position other than strong arm tactics.
     If those in the kremlin finally decide they have had enough of losing an invasion then putin will find himself devoid of any sufficient backing to keep his position. he will also find that his life is worth very little to those who have feared him in the past. His options are to win in Ukraine and preserve his status, which doesn't look likely at all. Or lose in Ukraine and then let the chips fall where they may. He may find a way to escape Russia with all his massive ill gotten gains but that seems even less likely than him winning in Ukraine. The choices putin has at the moment are not good ones and all that is keeping him in power is teetering on defeat in Ukraine. The end is soon for putin and for that I welcome it!

(#5159) A hodgepodge for this Sunday

      The first thing I want to talk about is the weather here in Sacramento. It is raining pretty good right now and will be for the next 24 hours or so. This week on into next week the rain will continue intermittently. It has been many years since we here in Sacramento have seen rain like this. I am very happy for it. The next thing on my mind is the surprise trip putin made to Crimea. As most of you know I am all for the end of putin however it is achieved. So an opportunity to spoil his day yesterday was missed and for that I am saddened. Because the math here is real simple. If putin is removed the rest of the world becomes a safer place, especially for Ukrainian citizens.
     Now back to another tyrant. The probability of a trump arrest seems like it could occur or just be smoke and mirrors from trump. The rumors, and for the most part, rumors from trump himself, says that the District Attorney in Manhattan, New York will indict him for crimes committed in New York concerning his payment to a prostitute. I take all of this with a wary eye of doubt because trump is already calling for an uprising and is fund raising off of it. Take this story for what it is, another scheme by trump to recharge his troops and refill his bank accounts. Yet, if true, since it is not being denied by the Manhattan DA, then all the more power to the rule of law and holding all to account.
     My last thought is on the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Russia's putin, for the last several months, has been trying to take Bakhmut at what seems like all costs. They have failed miserably and have lost so many troops and armaments that it seems insane that they are so stubborn about conquering Bakhmut. Insanity though does help describe the idea that Russia would invade Ukraine to begin with. The power hungry putin is deranged in the thought that the Russian empire needs to be restored by conquering Ukraine and other countries in the region. So let the Russians continue to try to take Bakhmut and keep expending their troops and munitions without success. I have felt for a while that Bakhmut will be putin's Waterloo and it seems nothing has changed my mind on that.

(#5158) Nearly 165,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine

      The senselessness of it all. The tyrant putin wanted to stop democracy from happening in a neighboring country and killing off the youth of his nation is now the price that is being paid. For what? The end of democracy in Ukraine is not happening but the deaths of young Russian men continues. It still makes no sense to me that the Russian people would put up with this insanity. I have already been extremely disappointed in the Russian people for not stopping the ego of putin much earlier and would never have guessed that they would align themselves with him. Why wouldn't any group of people support democracy where every person has a vote in how they live their lives?
     Are the Russian people so devoid of thought that they need a psychopath to think for them? Do they understand that their children are being used as cannon fodder for basically nothing? I don't get it. No matter how anyone tries to explain it the idea that throwing lives away in massive numbers is worth the ego of a brutish non empathetic person makes no sense. No sense at all! So are the Russian people worth being saved? Are they a value at all to an enlightened society? Because that I don't know why they are so ignorant to education and knowledge doesn't necessarily mean that they won't be in the future. Because I don't know why they continue to give their children to a murderer for him to dispose of chasing a fantasy doesn't mean that they won't eventually rise up and find their courage.
     Like the Huns of old, Maybe the putin loving Russian people need to be depleted so that a new more thoughtful strain of Russian ancestry can emerge. If they choose to follow putin down the path of death then so be it. Much like those who refuse to accept science and logic, there is little left for the rest of us to convince them of their wrongheaded ways. It is a sad thing I just said but each day more Russian troops are dying for nothing noble or precious. So if they must allow themselves to go head first into the abyss then I cannot stop them. It won't be much longer before a breakthrough happens in this hellish Russian invasion of Ukraine to stop the madness, but in the meantime the world watches with disgust and disappointment in the putin loving Russian people.

(#5157) We are not an experiment, we are an evolved species!

      Evolution. What does it actually mean? "the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth."-Oxford Dictionary. I look at our species this way. There are many other species' on our planet that have adapted to living an ongoing existence through time. We are no different. I can't say what our earlier forms were before our recorded history but suffice it to say we were genetically similar. Since given the properties of evolution our growth into our current being has stemmed from a contiguous simpler genetic code. Time and environment have helped to shape us into a more Earthly friendly species.
     Logic dictates to me that there was no magic wand that poofed our forms out of the ether. Chemical properties of our Universe are a better, more scientific basis for understanding how we became this complexity of molecules that have "evolved" into rational beings. We have had roughly 4.6 billion years of Earthly existence to mature into who we are now. I don't hold to belief systems as a rule as to me it is a simple mans way of dealing with reality. Sure belief systems can be honestly adhered to make a life out of but I am a progressive thinker not one to give up thinking for myself. Reality is our foundation and from what we can glean from it is what I believe, not what is irreality.
     I know in my bones that I am capable of so much more yet my life is too short to be able to achieve. Our species is constantly adapting even if in small ways but over long time periods those changes are profound. If I could glimpse the future like I can study the past I would see the timeline of human evolvement and it would be logically understood. Because all we have is our understanding of knowledge. There is no other formula that incorporates our existence into space and time. Logic and science are our building blocks from which to create and grow. We reason, we analyze, and then we conclude. This formula is how we master our surroundings and advance our own physical properties.

(#5156) Modern technology is taking over our workplace and that is a good thing

      Being out in the workforce again even though part time, I see that modern tech has evolved to make work simpler and much more efficient. It seems a lot is done on our smart phones to access data and create spanning trees to efficiency. Letting the Internet be our base, the struggle to understand is made much easier. All you have to do is want to learn the fundamentals and the rest is computerized for us to accomplish. Nothing will ever in our lifetimes replace the human activity needed to fill in the blanks between modern tech but the processes are clear. All we need to do is show up and perform according to understandable logic.
     Yes, logic will always be the guiding rule. We are not ever going to be a perfect society but we damn well are striving for that. Whether the motive is enrichment or humanitarian, technology is a tool that is forever going to be the wave of the future. So all future educational programs for our schools should have technology at the core of it. Those who refuse to involve themselves in technological advances will find themselves more and more ostracized from economic and social circles. The more our younger generations are involved in understanding current technology the greater the chance that they will not only improve existing technology but create new and exciting forms of technology.
     As we humans keep devising more intelligent forms of technology the less we will have to fill in the blanks between the forms of process. There are some human interactions that must be kept however the more manual back breaking work of the past will eventually be phased out. This is good for our species not to have to sacrifice health and safety for the right to exist. In the past we, as a species, had to fend with whatever was available in a rather stone age and industrial revolution era. Yet, we are past that mindset and with logical and scientific evolution we are now capable of living our lives with much more gusto and less pain and suffering. Modern technology is taking us there and we would be wise to let it.

(#5155) putin is pretending he can still win in Ukraine

      The daily losses in every region of the front in Ukraine remind us that putin is fighting a lost cause. He is losing up to and about 1000 troops every day and his supply of troops has been diminished by over 160,000 dead and likely the same amount injured since he started this invasion. His latest attempt to recruit about 400,000 civilians to join his military seems so desperate for a man who bragged that he could take Ukraine easily. Well there is nothing simple about what he started including his massive war crimes list. This invasion by putin was not as he planned and instead showed the world what tremendous people the Ukrainians are.
     Within the next few weeks or even sooner there should be a Ukrainian offensive that will likely bum rush what is left of Russian troops out of Ukraine. I expect this with the momentum the Ukrainians are showing and the utter failure of Russia to fight with intelligence instead of brute force. The motivation of the Russian military is nothing more than to survive. They know that they are not valued and are expendable in putins army. I kind of chuckled to myself when I saw that putin was trying to get 400,000 new recruits because most Russians by now understand that their lives are worth nothing in putins deranged sense of national pride.
     It has been over a year now and all the momentum is on the Ukrainian side. The sooner this invasion is destroyed and those in the kremlin held to account on the world stage the better for all the world and especially the Ukrainian people who have been devastated by the sheer madness putin has subjected them to experience. The days of the tyrant are over and the rest of the world who has not been on the side of the Ukrainians will no doubt be made to feel the pain of their unconscionable decision. It is my hope also that Ukraine can start it's counter offensive very soon so that the kremlin can finally understand that either they change their political direction or it will be changed for them.

(#5154) Thankful I can have a relaxing day today, unlike Ukrainians!

      Today is a day off for me from my part time job as a transfer driver for UHaul. I am a 67 year old man who is not in the best of health so after a full day of work I feel it. I work 3 days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So with this being Tuesday I am sitting here at my home desk writing this blog with some humility. Unlike with the Ukrainian people who are in the fight of their lives everyday for the past 13 months or so. I will get up and cook a big breakfast for those in my house so we can have a nice meal and watch the heavy rain come down.
     My muscles are sore because it isn't just driving that I must do during my workday it is moving trailers around and hitching and unhitching some of these big trailers to the trucks I am simultaneously moving. So a trailer on the back of a moving van keeps me busy not only physically but mentally. But even that work is nothing in comparison to the angst and physical nature of defending oneself from imminent danger. Which is why each day I am calling for the removal of putin and his acolytes in the kremlin so an honest man like Alexei Navalny can take over the leadership of Russia and guide it back into the civilized community of nations.
     Each and every day the Ukrainian people must wake to the realization that they have no day off to relax and enjoy the subtle nature of everyday surroundings. There is no mindless sunbathing or outdoor sports to play. They are in an intense situation where any rest is considered crucial to staying alive. I am not that rare a human being who believes no one person like putin should be allowed to scare and murder people to satisfy an ego driven mania. So today from thousands of miles away from Ukraine I am allowed to rehabilitate my body today in preparation for another workday tomorrow. Unlike Ukrainians who are in a non stop frenzy to save their own lives and the lives of their children.

(#5153) Russia is losing so many soldiers that an offensive this spring from them is now in doubt

     Russia's strategy of taking Bakhmut so their offensive this spring can have a real springboard is being disrupted by the casualties they are experiencing around that attempted capture of Bakhmut. In trying to take Bakhmut the Russians are gambling that they won't run out of troops in the attempt. But so far they are taking massive casualties to their troops and equipment. Every day there appears to be close to a 1000 deaths, not including injuries, to their troops. Already Russia has lost nearly 160,000 troops due to the invasion of Ukraine so now the question is does Russia have enough manpower to even attempt an offensive this spring.
     If Russia can quickly take Bakhmut then the likelihood of them advancing an offensive this spring becomes a real possibility, Yet if they don't take Bakhmut quickly or at all then the end of the Russian occupation of Ukraine becomes a real possibility. You can see why Russia needs to take Bakhmut soon or the invasion and occupation of Ukraine will not be able to be sustained. Most of the elite Russian troops and elite wagner support troops have been eliminated already so trying to fight on with less experienced troops against a confident and experienced fighting military like Ukraine will not go well for Russia.
     For their part Ukraine has decided that holding Bakhmut is their best battleplan. Keeping Russian forces pinned down outside the town is working and although there is a lot of street fighting within the east of the town the rest is still a Ukrainian stronghold. By killing off the Russian troops in the kamikaze like attacks they attempt, Ukraine is bleeding out the Russian forces needed for it's coming offensive. So while the Russians are not taking Bakhmut they are also dwindling in preparedness for the now in doubt spring offensive. The strategy to stay and hold Bakhmut is looking to be a very calculated smart one for Ukraine and very well could be the turning point toward the end of the Russian occupation of Ukraine.

(#5152) Adopt a pet dog or cat from the pounds

      Over the last year or so I have seen many wandering dogs and cats outside. I often go to my neighborhood page and see posts about animals who are straying with no one looking for them. I assume, and it is an assumption only but likely I think, that many of these animals have been set loose because their previous owners could not afford to keep them. I think that may be true because I have seen the price of food and medicine for pets increase quite a bit since Covid. It breaks my heart to see these animals as strays but what can be done to help them other than capturing them and sending them to the county or city pounds. The pounds these days are at capacity so unless people who can afford pets adopt the already impounded animals we will have a bunch of animals dying without anyone to care for them.
     I already have 4 adopted animals under my care despite straining my limited budget. Yet I wouldn't give one of them up no matter what. So if people out there would adopt some of these dogs and cats who have no home it would be great and give the rest of us a break from the constant heartache of knowing these little animals have no future. I cannot tell you how much a pet makes a difference in my life. I would be much less a human without my little companions constantly hanging with me. They need me and show that with happiness and love. We as a society need to do more to make sure that the costs of animal care and maintenance is within more budgets to accept.
     Every family should have at least one pet. Every retired person should have at least one pet. Every young person who can manage it should have a pet. All of us need to allow a pet into our lives when we can so that we have a constant reminder of what life is all about. There is nothing in the world like having a pet that shows its love back for the care we provide. My animals often come to me just to be up against me as a hug. Happiness is not easy to find but with a pet happiness is suddenly all around. Quality of life should be a priority for all of us and having a pet will make life much more bearable and satisfying all the while giving the pet a chance to have a life free from despair.

(#5151) We need all democracies to stand up for democray!

      The republican party is being buoyed by authoritarian countries so we democrats need to be buoyed by democracy loving countries. If republican are not held to account for their support by tyrants then we democrats shouldn't be held to account through support of our democratic partners. In essence if the rules are changed to benefit one political party here then the other party can also use the same tactics. Because when advantages are only allowed for the rule changing party then their form of authoritarianism is already under way. So we democrats need our allies to help us win elections just like the allies of republicans do. The only difference then would be who these allies are.
     The republicans would have as allies the dictators of the world like Russia, North Korea, Iran and we democrats would have as allies nations like Canada, England, and France. I would imagine that we democrats would be able to sway voters much more convincingly toward self governance than the republicans who want to rule over everybody. When more people are making arguments for democracy the better the message will be understood by the time the voting has begun. Again, republicans are always trying to change the rules of law on elections so I say if they are not held to account on those rule changes then we should employ the same rule changes.
     We democrats must stay up with and then out ahead of any attempt of republicans to dishonestly abscond with our elections. They are already ahead on gerrymandering congressional districts that favor them holding more districts through racially disadvantageous, and political party, line drawing of district maps. They are already ahead on state laws that give republicans easier access to the ballot while making it difficult for democrats to enjoy the same experience. So if republicans are allowed to use outside interference in our elections then we democrats must also use the same tactic. My theory is that if it isn't being held into account as against the law then we democrats should use the tactic to our advantage.

(#5150) Russia is imploding

      With Russia dictator putin and his strongman wagner leader prigzohin now at each others throats, the failed fate of the Russian invasion is now cemented. With these two main figures in the invasion now looking to end each other the focus of fighting a murderous campaign is disassembled. Who knows what the Russians will do next to try and take Ukraine? When putin is out to destroy the wagners and prigzohin wanting to be the leader of Russia, the conclusion to this drama will take place before much more can be done to keep engaged in the war crime laden invasion of Ukraine by these two petty excuses for men.
     I for one was expecting the Russians to get beat on the battlefield because of the amazing Ukrainian determination to win at all costs. I was not expecting the egos of putin and prigzohin to also be a battlefield where the victor annihilates the other. It is sweet music to my ears to here of this internal struggle just as a major Ukrainian offensive is in the offing. Russia has done little to extract territory back from Ukraine since last years retreat. So with no real offensive in sight from Russia and their mounting losses piling up the idea that Russia can mount its own offensive seems irrational.
     However the struggle for the leadership in Russia plays out, the overall Russian strength to conquer will never be the same. Ukraine has taken care of that each and every day of the last little over a year. As to putin and prigzohin, one of them will meet his deserved fate sooner than the other but make no mistake, both will see their lasts days with fear. Tyranny is like that. When one is a tyrant one must always have to be looking over their shoulders to see who might be coming up behind them ready to claim their own tyrannical mantle. Hopefully these 2 murderous thugs will give the world a break and find a way to end themselves together. wouldn't that be a nice result!

(#5149) We see putin has lost yet his arrogance won't allow him to see it

      With the overnight massive missile strike all over Ukraine we see that putin is more angry than smart. He just shot off a bunch of missiles at non military targets which only inspires the Ukrainians to fight harder for their national heritage. Now putin who is short munitions already just wasted a lot more by not using his missiles for strategic purposes. Instead he used his missiles in anger and looked to kill civilians. More war crimes committed by putin however I don't think putin cares. He thinks he will win this invasion of Ukraine and not be admonished for it. However he will lose this invasion of Ukraine and if he doesn't bite the dust he will be tried and convicted in a war crimes tribunal.
     The powers that be that prop up putin are hoping putin can hold out until the 2024 US elections. They are working to elect a republican who will do their bidding and undermine Ukrainian support. However that long game concept is very dicey as Ukraine will not wait until then to end this illegal invasion by Russia. Ukraine will be coming for all it's land and within the next few months may well achieve that goal. With putin wasting his munitions on non military targets Ukraine is not. Ukraine is strategic in how they deploy their missiles and are very successful at hitting Russian troop concentrations and Russian weapon and fuel depots. As well they seem to be able to hit Russian military command and control centers with high efficiency.
     The arrogance of putin allows him to aim his missiles at civilians as a way to express his anger at losing his invasion in Ukraine. He thought the invasion would be a cake walk with practically no fatalities. Yet one year and some into the failed invasion putin has actually lost territory in Ukraine previously acquired through strong arm tactics in 2014. So from the height of his power on February 24, 2022 to now where he is in constant danger of being ended and or overthrown, his die is cast. There is no recovering from this. He may think he has an escape hatch in Ukraine but he does not because his advantages have all been taken from him. There is no path to victory for putin and he will never see that.

(#5148) My first day back at work

      No matter the tasks I needed to perform the energy was there to tackle them. Then I got home and began to feel how much using that energy sapped me of my strength. A nearly full day of work did a good number on me. But after a good night of sleep I am ready to go at it again. Learning so many different tasks and forgetting most of them is where I am at. But after one day I didn't do any harm and actually got some things accomplished so there is that. :) However today there will be more expected of me and surely I will end up with a mixed bag of successes. I won't fail but I won't be quick to accomplish either on several tasks.
     But that is to be expected from a new hire and as long as I keep improving things will be fine and much easier for me going forward. Getting through this first week and gaining some knowledge as to how things are done is my highest priority. It will take me more than a few weeks to get most of the tasks down but I know I will be fine. This isn't rocket science, but it isn't mindless either. There are procedures at about every turn and those procedures are the learning curve for me. Everything besides the driving seems to be of an automated nature so keeping up with technology is going to be my greatest hurdle. Yet I am up enough to get a good start so now it is just applying the technology to all the tasks I attempt.
     I am only going to try to do 20 hours a week for the near future and see how it affects my body and mind. The work is mentally tiring after the first day but I think that has to do with learning new ways of keeping track of inventory. Once it becomes more second nature the stress of my mind will taper off and I can start to enjoy the work with a bit of confidence. I am not there yet but the sooner I do get there the better for my health. The physical part of this job is less demanding but staying constantly aware while on the road is never to be underestimated. Most of these vehicles that I am transporting are bigger than normal so considerations on the road is mandatory. On to day 2.

(#5147) It looks like Bakhmut is where all the fighting is playing out

      The besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut is where all the fighting is generally aimed. Whether Ukraine can continue to hold the city is the question. It seems odd to think that Ukraine can hold off Russia from taking Bakhmut given the force that Russia is laying out there everyday. Yet the Ukrainians are not giving in despite incremental territorial gains there from Russia over the last month. What Russia has been doing is throwing soldiers in a bull rush at Ukrainian defenses hoping to overrun the Ukrainian defensive positions. Yet the Russian effort has only succeeded in killing off Russian soldiers in masse.
    Yet again yesterday another over 1000 Russian soldiers died because of the Russian strategy of using its soldiers as cannon fodder. Nearly 155,000 Russian soldiers are dead and with Russia unable to change its strategy expect many more tens of thousands to follow. Russia is running out of armaments so not protecting their charging soldiers is a death sentence. Soon Russia will be running out of soldiers as well and then what? I expect that the internal fighting among the Russian military hierarchy will eventually lead to a withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine. Either voluntarily or through individual acts of self preservation. Either way Ukraine is on the precipice of ending this invasion with a victory over the Russian occupiers by making its stand at Bakhmut.
     It is Bakhmut that is becoming the Russian Waterloo. Where the end of the hoped for conquest of an invaded nation occurs. Ukraine keeps adjusting their defensive positions in order to protect their troops by giving inch by inch to Russian invaders while Russia keeps heading head first into those defenses. As Ukraine slowly moves backwards the Russians are tricked into thinking they are gaining all the while their losses keep becoming insurmountable. As Ukraine defends at Bakhmut, they are also building up for their offensive which may come very soon. All of this does not bode well for Russia. They are losing military pieces and manpower at alarming rates while Ukraine gets stronger and much more primed to overrun Russian positions in Ukraine and beyond into Russian territory.

(#5146) New adventure today

      I am going to go see about acquiring a part time job today. Necessity requires it. The prices of things have made my little budget untenable. So now I get to go see how I can supplement it with a part time job. I am nearer to 68 than when I became 67 so the part time job cannot be so strenuous as to cause me undue medical distress. So fortune has favored me with an opportunity to sit on my butt and drive from point A to point B. Moving vehicles around to different locations as needs require. A nephew of mine is looking for someone like me to fulfill this position since he is in position to do some hiring.
     So off I go to orientation this morning. I know things have changed as to working requirements within the last decade but I am confident that I will fit right in with this new position. I can still drive very well and I am conscientious about completing work duties. I don't necessarily like to drive but given there are fewer positions available to people my age coming back into the workforce I will do what needs to be done. It will give me a chance to learn the newer vehicle operations since my vehicle is still a 2002 model. I spent the majority of my work career as a new and refurbishing construction orientated person so outside of working in some pencil pushing construction staffing, or supervisory job, my options are limited.
     As to how I feel about this I am okay with it. I need some extra income and the part time nature of the position leaves me with options down the road. I may try later to move to full time or not. But this much I know, I cannot go back to production work that demands physical stresses that my body will not let me do. The spirit is willing but the body is less able to cope. I know my limitations so today I will see how this might work out. As an optimist I am ready to tackle it and as a realist I know that the tackling of it must be within the bounds of my medical needs. Between the 2 expectations I am currently operating under It would seem to me to be likely I am back in the workforce, albeit part time.

(#5145) We human beings are an incredible species

      It has been a little while since the last time I laid out what it is to be a human being. Several decades ago it occurred to me that our species had two main traits. That of curiosity and compassion. In other words we wonder and we care. Well not all human beings are ordered this way as some within our species are wired differently, especially those who are have psychopathy issues. But the vast majority of us are within the spectrum that has curiosity and compassion at the center of our lives. Those two traits help us to imagine and love. Fulfilling our basic needs for purpose in life. Yet, in the denial either/or of these two traits, more nefarious lesser traits emerge. Which explains why some folks have uncharacteristically cruel behaviors outside the spectrum of curiosity and compassion.
     We as human beings are also a physical species. We are not invincible, yet we are adaptable to most all Earthly terrain. We have not mastered outer space as of yet but we are making advances that would allow us into that enormous unexplored vacuum. As individual beings we have a mind that is much like a computer. We register information, analyze it, and then conclude as best as possible an outcome. The complexity of our memories, both long and short term is breathtaking. Time and space have nothing on us as we are able to think in ways that incorporate new logical information with historical knowledge. Again, it is our curiosity that informs our minds and our compassion that brings that home to the rest of us.
     Much like all species' we take care of our "family" of humans for the most part. We are still learning that we are all the same in the important ways and soon in time we will all get there. Our care for each other is still dominant and will win out over the lesser traits that have negatively manifested themselves over the history of our species. We are stronger together as a group that can imagine possibilities and create from those imaginings. I often think of us as probes. We take in information and return logic from it. As a difference from probes though we are also caring. We have the chance to be the most amazing species to have ever filled time and space. It is ours to claim if we can keep from turning in on ourselves instead of staying turned out toward our uninhibited destiny.
     

(#5144) I feel like Dr. Doolittle

      I have 4 little characters as my wards. 2 dogs and 2 cats. They individually are much different than any of the others but the one thing they seem to have in common is me. I guess I have made myself the center of their universes and they revolve around me constantly. From the one being as clingy as possible and on the other extreme one barely stays within 10 feet of me. However though, they are all close enough much of the time that one would think they might like being around me. I am well satisfied with that outcome because each of them is particularly special to me.
     I have been at home most of the time since I don't like going out anywhere too often. I almost could say I don't like going out at all. However I must and do. Now it seems with inflation eating into my operating budget, such as it is, I may well be going out more often to a part time job. I wish I didn't have to but rising costs are really putting a pinch on my ability to cover all the bills and food without much left for emergency items that seem to crop up every month or so. I know my little wards will not like the fact of me leaving during the day if that is what occurs but I must do what is needed to keep us all safe and together.
     My little wards came to me from desperate situations and giving them the safety and comfort of a forever home is now my number one domestic priority. From the dog pound, from the streets, from 2 being given away to me. Their little lives had been unsettled before me and now that they have all been with me from the latest one at least a couple of years. They seem to be adjusted to each other and me. There isn't much I can do in this world to make the world better other than right here at home with my charges. I try to give good advice as to how we humans should exist but that too often falls on deaf ears. So be it. But with my wards I can and do the things they need to live a life without fear and with bountiful love and safe harbor.

(#5143) Russia needs to be punished

      The bully here is Russia. So anyone who sides with Russia in the invasion of Ukraine has a serious lack of judgement. Unless of course anyone is a wannabe tyrant. much like trump and musk who seem to believe that tyranny is better than democracy. The conmen and wealthy of the world probably would find tyranny greater than democracy because it is easier to control people as property than as free human beings. Most conmen and wealthy are more psychotic than not so a lack of empathy is their foundation. Believing in democracy goes against their world view, which brings us back to Russia. With the tyrant putin wanting to destroy the Ukrainian culture, the fault for fighting back is not on the Ukrainians but on the Russians.
     Ukraine did not instigate anything with Russia. They just want to govern their nation according to democratic rule. That has nothing to do with putin and his plans for Russia, it is just that the ego of putin cannot allow a former soviet satellite nation like Ukraine to be self governing. So putin invades Ukraine because he wants to not because Ukraine attacked Russia. So if I hear of anyone who would blame Ukraine for fighting back against Russian aggression then I know I am listening to an idiot or a psychopath. There are some who think that fighting back against an invasion is wrong. Well I can tell you this much, if you don't defend yourself  when attacked then who is to stop anyone from taking all from you, including your life?
     So what must happen going forward is a real hard punishment on Russia for its provocative act against Ukraine. There cannot be any wishy washy confrontation here on the part of Ukraine because their lives are at stake. So those who are not Ukrainians and are blaming Ukraine for fighting back you are the worst of what is a human being. People who have little regard for honor or principle are prone to being unable to find the courage to stand up to bullies and would rather shirk that and live in fear. Well the Ukrainian people are not without honor and principle so those who are not Ukrainian need to understand that fighting for ones life is the most honorable thing Ukrainians can do.

(#5142) More than 150,000 dead Russian soldiers in Ukraine

      It is obvious that putin is a weak sniveling less than human being. He continues to throw Russian troops into the death grinder that is now Ukraine. For any foreign person coming to Ukraine with the intent to kill and maim the only end result for them is their blood soaking into the soil and their lifeless bodies being hauled away into some hole in the ground. More than 10,000 tanks and armored personnel carriers have also been destroyed or captured. The idea that putin will get that he is a madman chasing after the unattainable is now thoroughly dead. Like the troops he keeps sending into the meat grinding defenses of Ukraine, putin will slowly bleed his country out of it's future.
     I don't know how many more Russian soldiers will have to die in Ukraine before the kremlin understands that there is no victory in Ukraine. Ukraine is a death zone for Russia yet they still cannot see that. It is unfortunate that the young Russian lives already lost are for nothing but to continue is beyond macabre! But continue putin will because he has staked his life on a victory in Ukraine. How much longer the powers that be in the kremlin allow for putin to fail to succeed is now beyond logic. They, like putin, hope for a victory but unlike putin, they didn't stake their lives on it.
     Russia's putin is done on the world stage. The only thing we are waiting for is the end since the result is now settled. Russian imperialism has been found wanting. It will die with this disastrous invasion of Ukraine. What Russia looks like after the dust settles is a bit unclear but I would not be surprised if Russia breaks up into regional powers that eventually become nations of their own. What Ukraine has done to the arrogant putin is bring about the reordering of the world toward democracy. A feat that I could not have imagined when putin put his troops on the Ukrainian border a little over a year ago. The Ukrainian fighting spirit along with weapons from the west have effectively put Russia and China on notice that imperialism is dead as a strategy!

(#5141) Ferreting out the colluders in the US who are helping putin avoid sanctions

      It is a well known fact that many republican politicians in the US are admirers of the putin regime. If it is found out that they are helping putin skirt national/international sanctions against Russian products and or are facilitating any armaments to Russia then they must be held to account. This is serious business with Ukrainians dying every day as a result of putin's actions in Ukraine. If any American is caught helping Russia kill innocents then they are colluding and aiding a terrorist state destabilize not only Ukraine but the world at large. Collaboration with an enemy is punishable so we who are the stewards of our democracy must hold to account any and all who are caught profiting off of the misery in Ukraine.
     As the republican party has shown they would attempt an insurrection to get their way despite the voters not backing them. They have an agenda that they want to implement and nothing democracy dictates will stop them. So to think they would help putin move his oil around the globe is not a stretch of the imagination at all. Because for one thing they admire putin because he is a dictator. The republican party has moved so far to the right that now fascism is their growing middle of the road political philosophy. No longer are republicans devoted to one person one vote. Instead they are moving back to the pre civil war days when only people of property could vote and those who were not white property owners were considered more like property that free human beings.
     So do we Americans have the will to uproot our instigators of fascist revolution or will we let them slowly turn our democracy into an autocracy with a brutishly cruel tyrant as the leader? Are we Americans so devoid of character any more that we would let people of color become less than citizens again? Will we Americans once again make women a lesser form of human being? The America I live in now is at a crossroads! We either stand on the shoulders of our foreparents and represent the gift of democracy they fought and died for or do we step aside because we have no courage left and let the scoundrels of the world degrade and denigrate the rights we have attained toward a more perfect union.