(#5398) Do not normalize republican anti democracy!

      It infuriates me to see too many folks who should know better being respectful and courteous to republican politicians when those very politicians are standing there with a bloody knife in their hands waiting to put another stab wound into the backs of the American working middle poor class. This may be a metaphor but to too many it feels as real as it gets. The republican party is not ashamed or embarrassed as they condescend to the many of us and in fact expect us to bend a knee to them as they see themselves our rulers not representatives.
     From voter restrictions to gerrymandering to now even Ohio republican leaders trying to change the outcome of abortion being enshrined into the Ohio state constitution. They don't care about the will of the people, which is the everything of democratic rule, instead they only care about stirring up resentment and chaos so that they can keep power, which is their only priority. When will the American electorate in massive numbers wake up to the fact that the republican party does not want democracy as it's governing principle. Which is why so many of them are putin fans and actively root against Ukraine and its struggle to implement its own democracy.
     We Americans are not the heroes in this historical moment if we don't rally around freedom, liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness with no harm for all. Democratic principles that underpin our constitution, declaration of independence, and our vision for the whole world. The insurrectionists in the republican party have not all been charged especially those who still hold political positions. We cannot have this and all who are part of trying to overthrow our government and those who still maneuver to deny democracy to American and foreign nations need to be held to an account that has the sting of punishment to it that will have no salve. Enemies foreign and domestic is a fact and we need to be able to root them out no matter who they are or what their station in life currently is!

(#5397) I want to talk about uncomfortableness

      This concept has been on my mind for well over a week when I started thinking about comfort. Given the pros and cons of being comfortable or not has found me on the side of uncomfortable. Especially in a relationship. This is how I see it. If I find a woman who makes me uncomfortable around her then that is a good thing when I am attracted to her. It means I do not take her for granted. It also means I have to be on my toes in order to maintain my relationship with her. Uncomfortableness in these areas are very good for me. I am one of those persons who does not expect any deserve or entitlement out of life. I know that every second of life is one where nothing can be taken for granted.
     It may sound odd or counter intuitive to want to be uncomfortable in a relationship but I have been in relationships in the past where the comfort became boring and less attractive. I know who I am and I need to be more than kicked back and easy going as if I have won something. I need to be challenged in many areas of my life and without the need to be motivated, especially in a relationship, I fail to live up to the better and best of what my life does offer. There is an edge to my life that needs to be sharpened so there is no goal line that I am aiming for, no, instead there is an ideal that I am always on the path toward, following wherever it takes me.
     So yes, I need to be with a woman who makes me feel uncomfortable. Not by anything in particular she is doing but in how I perceive my good fortune in having found her. I have met women like that in my past and let them go because I was not up to the challenge of making myself available to them. No more. I am not torn by insecurities nor perceived shortcomings. I am just a man looking to find a woman who challenges me in ways not even I can explain properly. Except to say she makes me feel uncomfortable around her. I guess it is a pheromone thing and a how lucky am I to be liked or loved by her thing. Glad to get this subject behind me because it was on my mind and needed describing.

(#5396) Getting Ukraine F-16 ready

      Having a superior fighter jet squadron with its ground crew and maintenance facilities is vital to the defense of Ukraine and for another very important reason. The F-16 is the standard for now of NATO members with all applicable advanced radar systems that Ukraine currently is at a disadvantage with Russian fighter jets. However that disadvantage goes away once Ukraine is F-16 ready. As well Ukraine will then become at an advantage against Russia because of missile superiority. That is not all. Ukraine with the F-16 will be readily adaptable to integrating many more sophisticated weapons systems.
     The steady track of Ukraine coming closer to becoming a NATO member may well allow Ukraine to be approved of all of the weapons available in the NATO arsenal. Russia is not as sophisticated in its weaponry like NATO and although Russia is a vast country it is limited in its resources to overwhelm Ukraine as is evidenced right now in the example of the Russian "meat brigades" continually attacking the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka unsuccessfully. Although the F-16 won't end the invasion of Russia it is another huge step forward for Ukraine to becoming a stalwart democracy between the tyrant putin and Europe. Helping keep Ukraine free from the clutches of the Russian horde is critical to the peace. freedom, and stability of our civilized world.
     With Ukraine slowly being allowed into the European Union and NATO the die is cast against the Russian putin. Every day Russia fails to advance in Ukraine is another day closer Ukraine gets to its freedom from putin. The F-16 is an important step in this evolution and when the Ukrainians are flying them over Ukrainian skies will be proof that Russia is doomed and Ukraine will survive the murderous invasion of Ukraine. There are other steps being taken by Ukraine internally to bring their society into step with European policies of rule of law and these steps are currently being implemented. Overall the Ukrainian society is molding itself into a major force of democracy through the bravery and courage of its people to live free from the cruel and brutish form of tyranny.

(#5395) A year of worry warts complaining about the coming election

      It is humorous to me and also tiring. I have been through enough of these elections over the last 50 years to have some idea about how they trend. The only election that actually caught me by surprise was 2016 when Hillary should have been our first woman president. But despite that fateful election the rest have been normally expected whether I thought that was good or bad. The same will be for 2024 when Joe Biden is re-elected by a very comfortable margin. As well the Senate will remain in democratic control and the House will also return to democratic control.
     Not because I am some extraordinary diviner of justice or fairness but because all of us are who care about such things. There are too many of us for the ridiculous republican party to overcome. I say ridiculous republican party but I actually mean much worse. The space between the differences in the democratic party and the republican party is vast. Which clears up so much of the confusion republicans are normally able to sow through their wealthy generated propaganda. It is perfectly clear democrats represent fairness for all classes but especially the working middle poor class while republicans only hold a special place in their cold dark hearts for the wealthy.
     But despite these facts some who only pay attention to elections during the election season often spend way too much time parroting talking points that are fed to them instead of researching their own understanding of what is actually happening in real time. I know many say that they are too busy in their lives to care about politics but I say I know you are too busy in your lives and it is because you don't care about politics. One feeds the other. Get informed and then watch your life simplify because there is no doubt as to your desire for the best of democracy and the foundational principles it ascribes to elevate through our social, political, economic, and logical lives.

(#5394) In reverse again and that is a surprise

      I had all but mentally checked out of my position at the storage unit when the unexpected happened. My supervisor asked me to come to his office and I was expecting him to let me go on the spot so I was getting my keys ready to turn in when he started telling me that he had no idea that the communication between us was so broken. He wholeheartedly apologized to me and then told me that the last thing he wanted was for me to leave my position. He congratulated me on doing a wonderful job and that he would be more than happy if I would change my mind and stay.
     His honesty in being so forthcoming and sincere was not at all what I expected and it took me aback. I had already convinced myself that he was looking in another direction for who he wanted in my position. But apparently his apparent lack of interest in what I was doing was not for the desire to remove me but that he was just oblivious to what was happening between us. Again he reiterated the broken communication and that as the leader of our enterprise he was not happy with himself for not being aware. I know he has many duties and is always busy trying to make the operations around him successful and for him to admit he was clueless as to what was going on with me was quite a humbling admission.
     So taking everything into consideration and with an optimistic view toward how storage can improve with me receiving more help and assistance I decided that it was enough for him to clear the air and make a new attempt at keeping us moving forward with a goal of making this storage facility a well organized and successful endeavor. So I told him that I would stay. I would not have thought this would reverse itself since I had clearly already had one metaphorical foot out the door. I actually slept well last night for the first time in many weeks and I attribute that to the burgeoning optimism I am now feeling about how this experience turned out.

(#5393) What a difference a day makes

      All I seemed to hear yesterday was how one single flawed ny times poll had shaken the confidence of too many democrats on my Facebook page. Well after last night's blue wave elections in many key states, the nervous nellies need not be so unsure. Except for a couple of non wins in deeply red states democrats pulled off all the important victories. The one loss we took in Mississippi in the Governor's race was not all that surprising since the democrat was against abortion. Which he should have known better than to strategize against a popular women's health care issue.
     Otherwise the outcomes were very encouraging and add to the analysis that a blue wave is still riding high against a republican party that at best supports insurrection and at worst would see democracy abolished. I don't care how much the wealthy influence polling because like we hear all the time, the only polling that counts is the vote on election day. It is still only November 2023 so the there is plenty of time for the wealthy to rig some more polling to scare democrats if they are able. But those of us who know better just laugh at their attempts and keep highlighting instead the insanity of republicans keeping power without doing anything for those who vote for them. Instead we democrats work for the betterment of all of us.
     Ohio was a prime example last night. That red state that could not be construed as a democratic stronghold beat down a republican attempt to ban abortion. Instead, by a substantial vote, abortion is now inscribed into the Ohio state constitution as a right. As well by an equal beat down Ohioans legalized marijuana as a recreational drug. Both of these issues were heavily attacked by republicans in the red state of Ohio and both passed with overwhelming majorities. A reckoning is coming for republican not only in several red states but all over our nation we the people have had about enough of their callous condescension toward us.

(#5392) The changing tides of my life, moving on or back where I once was...

      I do not plan what happens in my life except to give myself a chance to do the right thing. I am mostly successful at that for the most part but like all human beings I fall short, although with trying not to make mistakes. My intent is always solidly %100 to the good. So when something outside my control happens in my life and it directly affects me then I must deal with it. In this latest example it revolves around respect. If I am not respected to do basic functions that anyone can do then I take offense. I am no young person who needs a constant guidance in order to accomplish tasks.
     Looking deeper into the problem I see it isn't about me in particular that the problem exists but it does involve any person who would be a thinking person. Of which I am. So when I take my work seriously and try to do it in an efficient and smart way I do try that as a default position. Where the trouble comes in is that I have been let known that I am to do what I am told when I am told and nothing further. I suppose that approach is good for soldiers in the field during war but at a work environment where there is no pressure in a life or death situation it is absurd. I do get the need to follow some rules as to courtesy and customer relations. But to be left in the dark waiting for instructions that are often not delivered or when delivered far later than needed in simple situations and not allowed to know things that advance my work is beyond the border of the ridiculous.
     So a coming to a head moment happened yesterday and this week will assuredly be the end of my current position at the UHaul storage facility. I refuse to be a person who is treated like a child in ways that have nothing to do with learning. Some other person will have to be that but it won't be me. I have 68 years of accomplishments and successes behind me which should have given me some flexibility in how I manage my tasks and responsibilities. But not with this current supervisor. I will not be his lackey when all he had to do was treat me as a colleague. Again a much younger man who likes to control things beyond what is available as an opportunity. Well he has lost what could have been a great asset to him and will now have to find some willing monkey to dance for his grinder.

(#5391) Polling

     It seems like every election cycle early on well before the actual election the polling comes out favoring republicans. Well that is not a surprise anymore to me because the wealthy want the republicans to win so they support polling entities that lean in their favor. They can afford to make their chosen political party look good when they pour enough money into it. That is what they do, spend money on candidates, on lawmaking, and other areas like polling. The republican party would be a non factor in elections if the wealthy were not bankrolling them with dubious commercials on all the information platforms.
     In a capitalistic world where political advertising dollars are always being spent the majority of it this early on is being spent by republicans. They know they are fighting uphill against the truth of things so going all in on bending the facts to fit their narrative is a specialty with them. So as the polling comes out and shows support for people like trump who is mired in so many legal entanglements it defies logic that he would be leading in any poll let alone a few. Just let me remind you that the methodology of the pollsters is not the same. Too many pollsters who are paid by the wealthy to conduct polling have to use parameters that sway toward republican talking points regardless if those talking points are valid.
     Here is what I do. I don't pay attention to any polling this early on. What I am looking for are the results tomorrow of the Virginia and New Jersey state elections. Those two bellwether states will give me far more information about the psyche of the electorate than any contrived polling with subjective intent. As we get closer to our national election in 1 year the primaries and the voters who vote in them will be my polling and that is the best gauge I can rely on. Closer to the election some cumulative polling by historically reputable pollsters will become available and I will monitor that in real time then. But for now do not be distracted by the wealthy trying to demoralize our inevitable blue wave election.

(#5390) It is Sunday so back to work

      I like to think that Sunday is a slow day at work for me but it isn't. Not a lot of activity out there in the streets but at the storage facility it seems that many people use Sunday to visit their storage units. So the hustle and bustle of a weekday is more than compensated for on a Sunday. I don't mind really since being busy is my favorite way to pass time at work. it seems that everyone pretty much has a question or a problem they need help with. I can also catch up on the units that need to be made ready for what we call 24-7. That is they can be rented online as well as in the store.
     I am the housekeeper there so keeping the place looking clean and welcoming is my task. I also need to do inventory on all the units to make sure they are in their proper category of being available, occupied or damaged for whatever reason. The damaged ones due to minor issues are easily rectified once the problem is identified. Such is the nature of a large storage facility. Anyway I am sure that after being off the last few days that my workload will be enough to keep me busy all day long. I am starting to get used to the 8 hour shifts although they do tend to be harder as I am older now. However the 40 hour workweek is still a work in progress for me as it seems the 2 days off a week are mostly for me to catch up on sleep.
     My home is suffering some work undone because of my limited time home now but I do try to get after the highest priority items on the to do list. I am hoping that after some time my stamina and strength will increase enough for me to stay even on my chores at home while doing a better than good job at work. I am not there yet but I sense I will be soon. I am full time now so days off for holidays are paid and that is good which gives me more time for stuff at home. Plus the extra money from the paycheck does make a difference in how I can hire some help for the pesky little problems I would rather someone else does for me at home. All told I don't mind my new working reality although I don't see it lasting too far into the future. Such is my state of mind this morning.

(#5389) Being aware is a formidable endeavor

     Realizing that I have a mind that functions outside the confines of my environment is an absolute gift to have. I do not take it for granted or under appreciate its significance. I have the ability to imagine what could be as well as what should have been. Both are future and past time frames what is harder for me is the present. I live in the present so I don't spend much time trying to understand the tick of every second that is happening in real time. I know I can do better with my present but it is not a natural or easy action for me to take. What I do know though is that I can imagine a better future for myself and others simply by understanding and adapting what has happened in the past.
     I suppose for me the past and future are so tightly snugged up to each other that my present really is almost non existent. Which would help explain why I don't imagine much for my own present. The point of this is that I am a free thinker who is thinking. Some or maybe too many find that thinking is something of a drudgery or too hard to be comprehensive about but I say that is not true. We are human beings who are in essence individual probes. We gather and assimilate information because we are curious. It is a nature of ours to be curious which is the foundation of thinking. In other words we humans are biological data processors who utilize our memory for reasoning, analyzing, and concluding.
     Our lives are not long in the big picture so wasted time on the irrelevant is wasted time not to ever get back. I have done enough of that myself so I know of what I speak. So I must admit that it was a cavalier approach to selfishness. But over the last couple of decades I have reinvigorated my attentions to what matters, a purpose greater than myself. To think about what could be with equality, freedom, and justice to pursue our own no harming happiness. This is what I should have been doing from the moment I first drew breath out of the womb. Yet I like many others lost my way and was extremely lucky to have found my way back. Being aware is a formidable endeavor that all of us should fully embrace.

(#5388) Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is going after Russia

      Like the kid in the schoolyard who is constantly bullied by the punk, an eruption of emotion with full tilt anger is likely to occur. The only way to stop a bully is to fight back and when it is time to fight back when nothing else is possible then the fighting is deliberate and powerful. I have my own experience with being bullied and putting a stop to it. I was scared all the time and worried it would never end. My older brother told me back when this happened to me in the sixth grade, I must fight back or it will never end. Well I did fight back and nearly hurt the bully badly. After that the bully quit picking on me and was less a menace to others.
     The same situation is happening in Ukraine. Ukraine was bullied by Russia, especially since 2014 when Russia went into Ukraine and occupied a lot of its territory. Then the threat and eventual invasion of Ukraine in 2022 began. This time the Ukrainians had had enough. They told the bully to fuck off and began to defend themselves from the coming onslaught from putin and his kremlin acolytes, aimed at destroying them as a culture. Then in early 2023 the Ukrainians began to not only defend against Russia but began pushing them back out of the borders that were previously occupied by Russia since 2014.
     But now the fierceness of Ukraine is about to be unleashed. After spending months destroying Russian troops and munitions the Ukrainians are ready to punish putin for his murderous intent. Zelenskyy is about to reflect the rage that Ukrainians have pent up inside them at the empire building Russian horde. There will be no mercy for those who keep fighting in Ukraine against Ukrainians. There will be no mercy for military factories in Russia that are producing weapons for fighting in Ukraine. There will be no mercy for military targets anywhere and everywhere Russians are in their homeland. This war in Ukraine will end when Ukraine has brought devastation home to Russia like what Ukraine has been experiencing since February 2022.

(#5387) The military industrial complex is needed now

      I am not a fan of the military industrial complex but there is a time and a place for such an entity and for now it is time. There is an evil tyrant, putin, on the other side of the world, and he is injecting his form of delusion on most every part of the world. He has even infiltrated enough of the republican party here in America to cause our democracy to become perilously close to being destroyed. His lackey trump and too many congressional republicans are doing his bidding, consciously or otherwise. Especially the selfish republican senator from Alabama, tuberville, who puts his own principles above our nations principles by blocking hundreds of military leadership posts at a time when putin is doing more than rattling his sabre!
     We need to protect our allies who are right now in harm's way and republicans are playing hostage taking with that protection. Demanding that we Americans give up our earned benefits and enforcement of IRS rules that hold the wealthy to account. It is absurd that the republican party would not unite enough to stop playing games and give our allies the means to withstand attacks that if not withstood will create even more chaos and cost to us in the very near future. The republican party has turned into such a mess that even the traditional goals of republicans are now seen as secondary to their insatiable thirst for power. Well be that as it may be there may well be no power left to drool over if we don't protect democracy from the tyrants of the world.
     Which is why we need to be on alert with our military industrial complex and its ability to produce the latest weapons of war in order to defeat those who would deny all that democracy affords. We did not start the wars but we sure as hell will finish them and all those who are collaborating with the enemy. Best be seen as fighting for democracy when the shit hits the fan than be caught out working to defeat democracy and be left to our small amount of mercy at this point. For freedom to reign the tyrants must be defeated. It is that simple. So the republican party had better heed my advice and relinquish their advertent/inadvertent attention to selfishness or worse and join the rest of us to defeat tyranny and fascism now!

(#5386) Russia is all in on their invasion of Ukraine so we in the west should be all in to defend Ukraine

      Make no mistake about it. Russia will not stop fighting in Ukraine even if they are down to sending grandmas into battle. This point is clear now. There is no going back for putin and his kremlin propaganda machine. The Russian people have been brainwashed into believing that Ukraine is a threat to their existence so even the Russian people are against withdrawing from Ukraine if it means giving back Ukraine it's stolen land. So we in the west need to adjust our fortitude and start making military decisions based upon the fact that this is the beginning of the expansion by Russia to eliminate western democracies.
     I know we in the west are set by rules governing appropriate military options but when the threat to world peace is on the threshold of expanding to ensnare the world in a conflict that has no good to it then the rules need to be just guidelines, not hard and fast, in how we approach this putin led Russian threat. We must move our resources into position and come to the aid of Ukraine in ways that are powerful and not to be misunderstood. The might of the west is in our shared defense and even though Ukraine is not an official member of NATO it was still likely to be if not for the murderous invasion by Russia. I know the Russians have threatened the world but up theirs with their threats.
     We in the west are bigger and badder than Russia so Russia trying to tell us what to do is a non starter with me. Instead I would dictate to Russia that the Ukrainian battleground is now the front line in a European conflict that Russia initiated. That we in the west will be defending that front line from the Russian invaders at all costs. Russia understands only one thing, strength, and when we in the west exhibit strength Russia will shrink back into its shell and slither back to its borders. We in the west are the strength in the world and we must never allow ourselves to second guess using our power to thwart and abate attacks on our democracies.

(#5385) When democracy is on the line republicans are not an ally

      The republican party has shown its evolution from being a staunch defender of democracy in its recent history to now being what can only be called a collaborator with forces that are anti democratic. How in the world has this happened? I have never liked the republican party because of its favoritism and alliance with the wealthy over the working middle poor class but in the past that never stopped republicans from defending our way of life and keeping our democracy safe from the authoritarians of the world. But now, especially since trump and his authoritarian desires, the republicans are now mostly devoid of the patriotism that founded our great nation from tyranny 247 years ago.
     The pure selfishness and greed it must take for the republican party to hunger after total control that is embedded in our citizenry is mind blowing. The republican party is trying to wrest control of our democracy from we the people and turn it into a lifelong domination with freedom, liberty, and justice tossed aside and the republican party vision of our future as the only alternative. The republicans are already dismantling our Constitution by redefining what freedom and liberty actually mean, to instead their version of it. By controlling the Supreme Court and the House of Representatives the republicans are not only attacking democracy but are winning at reducing it.
     What I know is that the republican party knows they cannot win the popular vote so their solution is to cheat that voting process. Instead of modifying their positions to fit the will of the people they are modifying the voting system so that people are not allowed to decide the future of our nation. The people who make up the republican party are not the best of who we Americans can be. Instead they are domineering and opportunists who have to be in charge despite being totally unfit to lead. They cannot understand that democracy allows all of us to define our own happiness. They only understand that their view of happiness must be thrust upon all of us regardless of our desire for it. In 1 year our next general election will come about and at that time just know that the democratic party must be the only votes you cast for on your ballots.

(#5384) My usual media outlets are silent lately on the Ukrainian battlefront

      It happens once in a while when the two media sites I follow are down for a day or two or even three but both have been down over a week at the same time. Surely it is likely just coincidence but I suspect not. Both have been ardent supporters of Ukraine and have risked much to get us the news each day as it occurs. But for both to be silent now for over a week is not welcome. I am hoping it is because they are playing it safe with information that may be getting to the opposing forces and that seems reasonable since they both offer insights that are otherwise not on the surface of regular thought.
     Or it could be that they have been threatened in such a way as to make them pause in their reporting. I am a bit of a hypochondriac when it comes to the unusual when the usual is confrontational. I hope my darker take on this is wrong and that probably both reporters are sick or on leave at the same time. Hopefully in the next day or two one of them will get back to reporting about daily or weekly advances or retreats by either side. One thought I keep coming back to is that possibly the Ukrainian government has asked them to pause in their reporting so that an operation may more easily be hidden from view.
     Again, I let my mind run to places it may without knowing the truth of things. I suppose it is my way of filling in a blank that is not available so my mind does what it does to reconcile some logic. The rainy season is already upon Ukraine and begins in earnest over the next several days. So positioning of forces prior to the rain making mud everywhere is critical to defenses and advances in operations right now. Logic is only as good as its premises so not having all the premises makes my logic here less reliable or predictable. However the news blackout at the moment from two steadfast outlets is puzzling and begs for me to figure out why. Soon in the next few days or a week or more I will know why!

(#5383) Keep finding the good in the hard

      Life is hard. Duh! It is not easy for most all of us. There are some who have everything so life isn't so hard for them but for the rest of us who don't have much of anything we struggle with getting our motivation in place every day. Same with me and it is not easy having to conjure up my better outlook on a day that I would rather be doing something else. But today is my Monday even though it is Sunday. However the silver lining is that today will likely be less demanding as most people prefer to rest on Sunday instead of be out in the public square for work related activities.
     Yet the ease of today being lesser does not take away from the duties I have to perform in my job. I will of course do those duties and will likely entertain myself with tasks well done but still I will be tired and ready for my shift to be over when the time comes around. Then it is off to see my brother John in the hospice care home. Although this evening will be different as I am taking my dog Billy with me to see John. So I will get home later this day and pick Billy up and continue on to let him visit with John. It will be kind of fun to see John sparkle a bit with Billy there with him for a little while and that will bring a smile to both of our faces.
     I understand my need for working again full time and the freedom it allows me in my finances. It also keeps me healthier in the sense that I am busy moving about. Too often when I am not working I find that I don't stay as active and my health suffers from that. So embracing the hard of doing what I would not rather be doing is more an imperative once I apply all the factors to it. I don't let the emotional side of me decide what I will do as I have found over the years that my emotional side does not take into account factors that are just as important as my own. So my formula is simple, find the good and keep heading toward it.

(#5382) My pets are my children!

      I have been a single man my entire life so there is no wife nor children that are in my past. However I have had pets since the early nineties. So for over 30 years I have had a dog or cat or multiple of those in my life for the duration of theirs. They have always had a home with me from the time they came into my life until the time when they passed on with one exception. I had a feral cat named Betsy who after several years and the untimely death of her sibling brother Artie, left her home with me and never returned. It is still one of the saddest episodes in my life not being able to find Betsy although after more than 3 years now I still hope for her return.
     But all my other little children have stayed with me and been my constant companions. I have Billy, who is now over 13 years old, a small long haired Chihuahua who stole my heart the first moment I laid eyes on him at the dog pound. Then there is Jimi my mix terrier, a street foundling, who has a shyness to him that to this day some 8 plus years later is still his modus operandi. I also have my cats Arthur and Loretta who are middle aged and home bodies for the most part. Before them and first with me was Carson. My Carson was a cattle dog, blue heeler mix who was my buddy for 11 plus years when I found him in a litter at a home I was visiting.
     My dog Carson and I were always together as I was working as a framer and could take him to job sites during my workdays. Eventually I added Carter to our family, a long haired feral kitty, who spent 13 plus years with me until his untimely demise. Life is like that. We protect our children, human or not but life still has other designs. Anyway, all my pets over the years have held a part of my heart and although their passing has been hard to take I would never trade the joy they brought to me in abundance. I hope to live long enough for none of my pets to be left without me but life is what it is and we muster along to enjoy them each day as we live from our hearts.

(#5381) Not getting ready for work this morning is nice

      I know that I need to work and that is ok by me. But waking up on a day off is special. I don't have to get up except for my animals who remind me that they have a schedule and I am not on time. So up I get and take care of them then the rest of the time like this morning is mine. I am sitting here at my desk writing this blog post without a time constraint like I usually have on my workdays. I can write this post over several hours if I wanted to but that isn't how I roll. I am a bit ordered in my activities so procrastinating is rarely something I do. Speaking of procrastinating, I find doing it makes me feel somewhat anxious so the better of me gets me to do whatever task needs doing without delay.
     So instead of focusing on getting out the door this morning and out into traffic to head to work, I am thinking about when I will go back to bed and return to sleep for an hour or so just because I can. It is only 6 am now so sleeping another hour or so would put me right in the middle of the morning on any other normal day. In fact I think I have decided to do just that. Now all I need to do is finish this blog post and get it out into the ether. Well, I am still drinking my morning half caf coffee but that won't take long to finish since it is cooling as I type and I want it hot or at least warmer than colder. Ok, coffee just got slugged down so nothing stopping me from ending this post and shuffling off for some more sleep.
     It is a privilege for me to have choices that I can choose that make me happy at the thought of them. Even the simplest of choices are welcomed like choosing to sleep again for a bit. Life can be that simple for the most of us who are not actively protecting and defending our freedoms. I somehow feel a bit guilty being able to choose to sleep a bit while others in the world are fighting every minute of their lives just to stay alive. I guess I can look at it this way, they are fighting to have the right to go back to sleep if they choose on their day off so my example is just something for them to reinforce their own reasoning to fighting tyranny and defending democracy.

(#5380) This weekend will have 300,000 Russian soldiers dead in Ukraine

      At 297 thousand plus already gone and at the rate Russian soldiers are dying in Ukraine these last few weeks the fact of reaching 300,000 dead Russian soldiers in a few more days is inevitable. The Russian tactic of throwing troops at a stronghold position is still active so as these young Russian men are mowed down the body count keeps getting higher. What I don't get is the young Russian soldiers putting up with being forced into a killing field with no hope of returning from it. Are they so desensitized to living that death is preferable?
     As for the Russian leadership and their disdain for life I can only conclude that their psychosis is permeated throughout their rank indoctrination. It is almost like the Russian leadership and to some extent the Russian troops themselves are automatons, just doing their duty to some absurd calling. I suppose my thought that the Russian people would activate their conscience and stop the madman putin and his kremlin acolytes from murdering innocence on all sides is what they would consider me, absurd. Apparently they see the world through blinders and fetters, not enough vision to know they don't know.
     How this conflict will end is still not a given but the Russian people are the true losers in all of this. The Ukrainian people are also losers since they are at the brunt of the brutal Russian attack but at least the Ukrainians are fighting to preserve their dignity and honor as opposed to the Russians who are fighting for death and destruction. All of this is a sad commentary on the leadership within Russia that has no empathy toward life or limb. If there are 300 thousand dead Russian soldiers by this weekend then assuredly there are more than that wounded. I follow this invasion by Russia very closely because to me it is the tell of whether democracy will triumph in our existence or fall to strongmen who care not for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all.

(#5379) Ukraine needs a full arsenal of weapons

      We in the west are committed to seeing Ukraine regain its territories from the Russian invaders. As such we in the west cannot shirk or shrink from our duty to help Ukraine push the russian horde out of Ukraine. Whatever it takes short of nuclear war has to be our mantra. We in the west cannot allocate weapons based upon our fears, we have to help Ukraine from the standpoint of making Russia say uncle in Ukraine. The unthinkable is that our western reluctance to give Ukraine what they need to beat Russia is that Russia may win in Ukraine and then the rest of Europe will come under their salivating attention. Especially since we showed less than real strength in Ukraine.
     This gambit of putin's is a bluff and we in the west need not fall for it. The kremlin expected us to help Ukraine unequivocally but we have not done that. Instead we have run our strategy under the umbrella of not offending putin. Well that was not what we should have done. We should have given the proud and noble people of Ukraine what weapons they needed to drive Russia out much earlier when that was still possible. Now the Russians have entrenched and driving them out will take a Herculean effort with loss of life on the Ukrainian side that otherwise would have likely been unnecessary.
     Ukraine needs the fighter jets now and long range missiles to attack Russian bases everywhere they are in Russia. The only thing Russia respects is strength and if we in the west don't get our act together on this then putin will not stop warring for his own ego's pleasure. How many more must die before we in the west stop hesitating and begin to project nothing but power and strength? It had better be soon otherwise Ukraine will fall and Russia will be emboldened to stretch it's boundaries further into central Europe. Make no mistake about this, if Russia is not stopped in Ukraine then the beginning of world war 3 will.
     

(#5378) Don't poke the giant!

      The thing about President Joe Biden bringing home manufacturing plants is that now these plants can serve to transition into war making needs if needed. We here in America are an industrial giant when it comes to making things that are necessary to keep world order. Russia and China are not on the same scale especially Russia now that they are squeezed from every corner. China has it's own problems that leave it less than ominous. But we here in America are not inhibited in any way if we are poked by the ignorant bullies of the world. Our resolve may not be apparent but underneath our disagreements is a shared resolve that will let nothing disturb our rights as the greatest superpower this planet has ever known.
     I don't like to have to remind the world that we Americans, although too often rude and obnoxious, are aware of our hierarchy as a nation. We have placed ourselves in a unique position of defenders of democracy with the might to actually defend. We also have many staunch allies who will stand with us in ways that make our alliance invincible. So let there be no doubt as to what will happen to the upstart bullies who think they know us better than we know ourselves. That term of fuck around and find out is not without fact. We Americans are not confused or unknowing of outside attempts to divide us. Nothing new under the sun has come along that we can't see through.
     So know this, do not poke this giant who has been poked before and then proceeded to unleash a fury on those who thought that was a good strategy. It never is with us. We want the world to have democracy so that all of us can settle down to more important things than building defenses against tyrants. Our nations would thrive under democratic principles because of the values inherent within one person one vote, the pursuit of happiness, liberty and justice for all, equality of opportunity. These are just some of the values democracy provides so anyone who thinks they can threaten us for our power had better wake up and realize that we Americans are not playing when it comes to our democracy!

(#5377) No cane sugar cake today

      A friend of mine who likes baking cakes that have unique frosting images has been able to make me a no sugar cake with frosting using artificial sweeteners. She will bring it by today after I have already left for work most likely so I will be thinking about it as a special treat when I finally get home tonight. Today will be a little longer day for me away from home because not only am I working my 8 hour shift but immediately afterward I am heading downtown to see my brother John in the Hospice care home. I decided that since I last seen my blood sugar level just outside the normal range after the last blood test that I would hold to keeping sugar as best I could out of my diet.
     So far so good. I must admit that it wasn't that hard once I decided that I needed to work on my health at this later stage of my life. Priorities man, priorities! So already I have given up a lot of salt and now cutting out sugar is not as difficult. 17 years ago I gave up alcohol and cigarettes and have not been tempted mightily at all with those dismissals so salt and now sugar is not as difficult as I thought it might be. Especially since my friend is about to bring over her creation of a no sugar cake. That is what I miss a lot. Having a cake around the house to eat when I was in the mood for cake.
     Well if this new concoction of my friend meets with my approval that dynamic of not having a cake around the house will stop. If I were a younger man I would be all over trying to create a bakery called no sugar bakery. There are a lot of us out there who have given up eating sweets because there have been so few alternatives to cooking or baking with sugar but now with natural sweeteners it would seem that the opportunity to bring in a whole lot of market share into a healthy sweet alternative is available. Someone will eventually make this a successful life work but as of yet I know of no one who is doing a no sugar bakery on a scale that would satisfy the many of us who would eagerly add a no sugar bakery item to our shopping lists.

(#5376) Understanding my metabolism

      As some may know I have gone back into the workforce as a necessity on a couple of fronts. For financial solvency with a physical benefit to boot. But what I haven't thought about until this morning was the need for me to slow down my exertions. I am not 20 years old anymore so working hard non stop is not conducive to me surviving for the next 3 to 4 years. I figure I can get myself into a financial position where after about 42 months I can taper back down to little or no outside work. I will be 72 years old by then and that is still young enough to enjoy my days in a somewhat healthy way.
     In order for me to achieve this goal I must learn to not rush my activities at work and for that matter at home when I am off work. I need to regulate my production to within a scope that accomplishes my personal goals while also keeping up with a normal production schedule. My main problem is that I am always trying to do more than what is actually needed. I suppose it has served me well throughout my younger life but I am no longer that person. As a now 68 year old I do feel the stress and strain of the years of hard work and at times hard play.
     So if I am to survive this quest I am putting myself on I need to adjust to my own reality. I am old not young so I don't have the luxury of overcoming injuries and other physical anomalies with quick rebounds. I must take extra care not to push the envelope of my production beyond what is doable in a safe and concerted effort. My competitive nature has been a true friend but I am not in competition with myself or anyone else now. I must keep to a methodical approach that moves along the expected assignments I am tasked with, without trying to set world land speed records in the process. My metabolism is my focus for now and regulating it is my priority. I will gauge myself today and see if I will help myself and the company achieve a happy medium.

(#5375) I keep waiting for the Russian people but they keep disappointing

     As I wait for the Russian people to say enough of this craziness that is killing their youth I am left wondering how long if at all it will take them to stop their murderous leader? When will it dawn on them that maybe their own government is feeding them the propaganda and not the west. Same kind of deal here in America with stubborn republican base voters. It seems they too have much in common with the Russian people. They both are unwilling to believe the evidence right in front of their eyes. They will not allow reason or logic to invade their preset mindsets that the republican party has failed them.
     I suppose when Russia has no more young men left in their country will it finally dawn on the fathers and mothers who no longer have theirs. If only they had risen from their fear and worked to end the constant flow of death their children faced in Ukraine. I know it isn't easy on the fathers and mothers to rise up against a madness that has no good end but the worst case scenario is that they themselves will find that putin will force them into fighting when all the young men are gone. What other choice do they have? Should they keep letting putin destroy their children or should they find a way to end the reign of putin and they themselves demand an accounting of what horror their children were subjected to under putin and his kremlin allies.
     The fathers and mothers of nearly 300,000 young Russian men need to find their moral compass and put an end to their ruthless tyrannical leader's crusade to conquer the world. Otherwise their children died for nothing more than the delusions of a despicable excuse for a human being. Same with we here in America. As the republican party is on the verge of ending democracy as a party platform the voters who support them need to rise up and tell them NO! The easiest way for the republican voter to change their political party is for them to stop voting for the current mix of undesirable candidates. They need to be retired from office and then allow for a patriotic mix of candidates to vie for Congress. It is much easier for republicans to fix their problem here in America than for the Russians who have but one or two dangerous choices and both require courage beyond just voting.

(#5374) 1,350 dead russian soldiers yesterday

      This gives me no pleasure to have to pass this information along. What putin is doing to his own people, outside of what he is doing to other countries is insane! Anytime the daily death toll for Russia reaches or comes close to reaching 1000 troops a day you know Russia is failing miserably somewhere in their illegal invasion of Ukraine. The russian tactic of throwing their troops into battle en masse without a proper military strategy is endless it seems. The term cannon fodder is very appropriate to what the Russian lack of brain trust is doing to its citizen troops.
     I am not sad for them these newly deceased Russian soldiers but I am not happy nor satisfied. It is a situation where the troops themselves are complicit in the outrage that is putin. They believe the Russian propaganda that they are somehow in some noble position, not the perpetrators of horror. So when a report that says 1,350 Russian troops are no more breathing air in Ukraine today then I become certain that this deadly fiasco by putin will end sooner than he thinks and not in a way he hopes. The body count for Russia in Ukraine is already now above 292,000 and certain to hit 300,000 in the next week or little more. If that many Russian soldiers are dead then expect about that many are also wounded. Well over half a million dead and wounded Russian troops because putin is a monster.
     I follow the happenings in this horrible invasion of Ukraine by Russia's putin and have been both amazed by the fighting spirit and will of Ukraine while left speechless by the tactics of the psycho putin and his disdain for the lives of anyone not himself. If the Russian people had stood up to putin at the outset of this invasion the lives of a quarter million or more young Russian men would have been saved and their lives could have been lived to some kind of fruition in a peaceful scenario instead of the hellscape putin has created. A lesson here is that when a monster is revealed it is always best to beat the monster early before he can cause his inevitable chaos and ruin!

(#5373) Sometimes technology can be a boor!

      I just spent 25 minutes of my life trying to pay a bill online. Just like I have year after year. Except today the site wouldn't let me sign into it. Which makes no sense since I have done nothing to change anything. So of course it is some kind of glitch for whatever reason. The mad part about it is that I am only trying to give them money for their monthly billing. Why all of a sudden I cannot access my account has more to do with them than me. The screen sent me to change username and password option of which none of them would work. So my old username and password will now need to be changed since I tried to change both but the site still says I am wrong. lol.
     So instead of accessing a one minute bill paying option I am now 25 minutes behind in my morning schedule and getting to have to deal with this new mess after I get home from work either tonight or tomorrow. Technology doesn't have to be like this but that is how it goes in my existence. This may seem like a very trivial problem and of course in the bigger picture it is but that doesn't change the frustration that I feel about it. I like getting things done and when I can't get things done I need to know why. Well technology failures are not my forte so my frustration will have to go on the back burner for a while since I have to focus on other more important solutions for today.
     It is a bit funny though that my inability to pay my small bill to a service provider this morning has become the subject of this days blog post but it seems timing is everything and eating into my blog writing time frame has cost this technology some exposure in a not so good way. I will get it all figured out and have to file another new username and password away for a service that shouldn't have needed it but what the heck as long as I am forced to go backward I need to find a way to reverse it and go forward. Much like in life when things go haywire for no reason we all need to step back for a moment, catch our breath and resolve to correct the mess in order to get back to where we were before discovering the mess.

(#5372) The fight for democracy is on!

      Everywhere there is a strongman trying to force tyranny on our planet is where we democracy loving patriots need to be ready to combat. Our democracy and the democracies of all the other nations in the world need to be of one mind here. Wherever democracy comes under attack is where we all come under attack. This is where being united to protect each others right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness begins. In our own nation of the United States we fought and won our right to democratic principles with the absolutely necessary help from France. Today, we are like France in that we can help other fledgling and established democracies overcome their obstacles to either firmly establish or maintain their current democracies.
     When the world is united by we the people of each of our nations is when our problems become solvable. By showing support for each other to become a we the people led planet, other problems to do with quality of life are designed with maximum efficiency. Once we have stopped the tyranny surrounding us in desperate nations is when our planet can become the focus of our attention and not the screaming noise inside some diseased minds like putin, trump, xi, and other lesser tyrannical figures. Democracy has always been the answer to the world's problems and now that the tyrants have exposed themselves through war atrocities the best solution to their deserved punishment is to defeat them and put democracy front and center into their nation's politics.
     A Marshall plan for after tyranny's defeat to align newly freed people into a system that paves the way for free and fair elections with one person having one vote. As the world moves closer to democratic principles all of us Earthlings who are not psychos will easily understand that we the human race need all of us to have a chance to be purposeful in life. My dream is that soon, very soon the world will catch on to this moment and decide that giving democracy to everyone is the greatest avenue to solving their problems and the world's problems at large. Now is the time to end tyranny everywhere so let us get this done now!

(#5371) Triumph of the human spirit

      Whatever we do in life that heightens our achievements is often manifested in our emotion. With me it is the release of a feeling within me that is immersed in pure joy. These moments don't happen that often but when they do they are what makes us human. We are compassionate by nature so when that passion is combined with a sense of accomplishment it is a marvel to feel. Tears come to my eyes because deep down I know this is what it is like to be a human being. Not just to exist but to feel the depths of my inner joy through a circumstance or experience that exemplifies the better and best of who we are as a species.
     That is how I wish I could feel all the time. A beaming, all encompassing feeling that is threaded throughout my body. But like all things in this existence it doesn't last long and then I am back to my default position of just trying to survive as best I can. Those fleeting moments though are what make me keep going onward despite the uncertainty of ever feeling that triumph of the human spirit again. Nothing is guaranteed and I know this. There is no deserves that I have in a cupboard ready to pull out when I really need it. No, I have to keep working toward some scenario that allows me to accomplish or create something that has that feel good moment embedded as a result.
     I have figured out life per se. Do good things and feel the benefit of it. I don't need artificial additives or untrue accolades. I just need to be doing what I do best. Which is to think of others like I would hope they would think of me. If I don't get thought of that way back then that is not my control but my control is what I think and that will always be the key. I have never tried to run anyone else's life because I am not them so being in control of me is my only purpose. As a result the moments of pure joy occasionally are my reward. Living life to feel life should be all our goal. It is the only true value of existence that I have discovered. Nothing else compares!

(#5370) Time is not on my side

      That is what happens when we get older. Time begins to run out and all the things that seemed important before that revelation are all of a sudden not that important. This is the crossroads I am at in this moment. I am still working to get some things moved along but I am not planning much of anything beyond that other than to settle into the thought that I need to square up my own life and begin to plan for my leaving it. I suppose that doesn't matter much either but to me it is part of who I am. Sort of my legacy of how I lived and what I hope will be how others want to live.
     I am still caring for my brother in the hospice facility as best I can but it is so hard to watch and listen to him slowly fading from who he was. It does remind me that my own life which is less than two years shorter than John's is not far away from my own final chapter. I have no illusions about the coming end for me I just want to keep living with the ideal that somehow I made life easier for others. It has always been who I am. The one constant even through the rough times I allowed in my life I always cared for others because I knew despair and little to no hope myself.
    Because I have been at the bottom I have been reinforced with the knowledge that no one should have to be at the bottom. If we all could somehow find it within ourselves to lift up that bottom to a place where despair and hopelessness are not all that there is then maybe our lives and world will find itself a much more happier place. We can begin to feel good about what really matters in life. Not some sports score or some big capital gain. But about seeing others with a brightness in their eyes and a spring in their step. We the people are all of us not just some of us. We need to never forget how close we all could be to despair and hopelessness.

(#5369) Russia closing in on 300,000 dead soldiers in Ukraine

      The impossible is becoming a reality. Who would have thought that after Russia invaded Ukraine again on February 24, 2022 that they would be near to losing 300 thousand troops because of it. Well get ready because that is exactly what is going to happen within the next week or two. Russia is insane in their demented mindset of taking Ukraine away from Ukrainians and turning it into another region of Russia. Think of it this way, it is like if we Americans decided that we wanted to invade Canada because we wanted it as part of our nation for no good reason.
     Canada is a peaceful country just living as a democracy being a good neighbor. But Russia would see them as a threat to their form of tyranny and would want them destroyed because of it. Well we Americans are not the Russians so Canada has no xuch worry from us but the comparison would be identical if not for the absurdity of it. Russia is what I would call a monster. They are not rational human beings there. Now not all russians think like putin but not enough of them are strong enough to stop putin. So as putin goes so goes Russia. Please good Russians, prove me wrong!
     So until putin is stopped from warring around the globe and especially in Ukraine the death toll will continue to climb. Just think about it. 300 thousand dead young Russian men who will not be part of Russia's future. All because putin is not stopped from getting them killed. What that tells me is that the Russian people are not convinced that 300 thousand dead Russian men is yet equal to one deposed putin. How that can be is mind boggling to me especially since putin is an old man and the hundreds of thousands of dead Russian men are barely into their early adulthood. There is no logic here that makes any rational sense so what is left is for more Russian young men to die for the tyrant putin and his sickening boot licking kremlin toadies.

(#5368) I will get some good rest today

     So yesterday morning, my first of 2 straight days off work I get all my chores done very early so that I can go get a flu and Covid shot at the medical facility. I was standing in line early and I get a call from my old boss at the transfer driver position. I left the part time transfer driving position so that I could start a full time job as a storage facility coordinator/housekeeper. So after 5 straight days of work I was going to get my vaccination shots and then head home and cook up a big breakfast. Well the call from my old boss changed that. He asked me if I would help them out and come in directly from the medical facility after my shots and drive the transfer van picking up and dropping off the other drivers as needed.
     As is my usual modus operandi I agreed and told him I would be in within an hour. After disconnecting I thought to myself why did you agree to that? I was already tired and was looking forward to relaxing all day to recharge my energies. To late now though so I focused on the fun I could have working with some of my previous colleagues. Well I wasn't disappointed and many of them had also been called in to handle an unusual for Friday sudden rush of work orders. I ended up working for 6 hours and it wasn't all too bad except maybe the vaccination shots were dragging me down a little bit but otherwise I did enjoy the experience.
     This morning I am much more tired than yesterday but I am not going to do anything but rest today and that should get me enough energy to make it through my next 5 day run. Here I am trying to cut back on hours after careful consideration of all the factors and all I do is work a week with 6 overtime hours. Which kind of typifies my plans when I make them. I should just make no plans and let the days be what they are. I will go to the store this morning to stock up on supplies and then it is off to my chair and if anyone calls for me to come in to do something other than sit in my chair today then the answer will be no. I like being a team player and helping where the need is but sometimes my needs supersede.

(#5367) I wish I was as strong as the Ukrainian people

      For all my will and determination I am less able to be a vigilant warrior like the Ukrainian people. They don't need to escape their dull and dreary lives as I do at times. They are not allowed a dull and dreary life instead they are under constant threat of being not alive. If I was as strong as the Ukrainians I would embrace my dull and dreary life with a gusto that underlied a thankfulness. Instead I have to occasionally slip out of reality and let myself become immersed in daydreaming about what could have been. Recapturing moments of joy and happiness that remind me of the worth of our species and its complexities as some kind of salve for my soul.
     There is no changing the past but there is some little worth in learning from different choices not made. That is what I tell myself as I try to justify a lapse from being aware of all around me when I am not sleeping. I feel like I owe it to the specialness of life to not distract myself from any part of it that is happening. Maybe I expect too much of myself but that is who I have always been so why would I think it was not appropriate for me? I know that making reality a safe harbor for all of us is what needs to be done so when that is true the time for escaping into a dream world of my imagination is an acceptable pause from all that is going on around us. Yet we are not all living in a safe harbor so my disappointment with myself is real.
     I know that we should try to find some happiness in a world that is otherwise unkind and cruel to others is a compromise we seem to have made allowable as a society but I am heartsick at the thought of it. So when I find myself adhering to a less than honorable stance for myself even if socially acceptable it makes me feel the lesser of who I am. Nothing changes that, not even the most ardent argument. I often mention how amazing our species is but in truth we don't act amazing in the most fundamental ways when it comes to too many of our virtues of honor and noble intent. There is room for the arts in life even when the struggle for life is at a knife's edge. I know this but somehow the Ukrainian people are not granted even the arts and for that I am head down and kicking dirt sorrowful.

(#5366) Ukraine is still our focus

      I know how sensitive the topic of israel can be among many here in the US but they have been less than enviable since they have taken such a hard line against the Palestinians. Nothing being done to Israel at the moment justifies them being murdered like they are but Israel has been less than cooperative in finding a solution for Middle East peace and instead have been aggressively against it. How that plays out now is for them to decide since Israel and Palestine are the ones most effected. Unlike in Ukraine where the world is on notice of Russia's intent to destroy democracy and conquer at will.
     Israel has moved away from democracy and in ways that don't benefit consensus. Instead, strong men like netanyahu are dictating terms from less than wise political peace building strategies. The understanding that failure to communicate in respectful ways leads to chaos and harm is a lesson now being learned. There are other players on the outskirts of the Israeli debacle instigating the tensions there and again they are the usual suspects. Russia, Iran, with China, in the mix have found themselves another path toward destabilization. Which brings us back to Ukraine. All three of those less than honorable leaders of those three countries are also involved in the illegal invasion of Ukraine and it's current torment.
     Which is why the focus of democracies around the world cannot lose sight of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the underlying fact that russia is out to destroy democracy. The tactics by putin and his gang of allies is simple, terrorize and confuse. We won't see an end to it until those leaders who are committing war crimes are removed from power. So in the meantime we the enlightened civilized world need to combat and negate the present situation in Ukraine. Ukraine must be liberated from the Russian invasion and then their country can begin to rebuild from the horrific Russian destruction there. Ukraine can then become a full member of NATO and the European Union with an ability to defend itself and democratic principles from any future plans to thwart their sovereign right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

(#5365) Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is a hero to democracy

      I was thinking of our own first president, then General George Washington, who fought the British to help all of us to gain American independence. He then became our president after leading our nation out of the horrors of war. He carried on for 2 terms and then stepped aside to let a younger generation carry the weight of the awesome task of keeping our union growing. George knew that the days of monarchs and rulers for life was wrong and he exemplified that. He could in no way be a king of America because he believed in liberty, not power. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is of the same mold.
     He has made it clear he would run for a second term as the president of Ukraine if needed but would not run for a second term if the war were over. Zelenskyy has known that he is the wartime president and that is his strength. After the Russians have been removed from Ukraine and rebuilding Ukraine to a democratic bastion is a job left to some other Ukrainian patriot. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not in this for the power he is in this for reclaiming Ukrainian liberty, like our own hero George Washington. Being able to share with all of you the comparison between these two great men is a privilege for me. I am honored to be able to make the distinction.
     Our species is a masterful one when the circumstances present themselves for us to prove it. Our amazing ability to see beyond ourselves into an existence where the better and best of our human natures flourish is an evolution that no other species in life has exhibited. We human beings are in a test of that ability now and when we pass this test we will be stronger and more together than ever. Those who seek power for the sake of their egos are the problem in the world. We need more people like George Washington and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to remind us that we all have the courage to fight for greater things than ourselves and deny the petty people who would destroy our democracy.

(#5364) I will be slowing down my work activities

      After careful consideration of all the factors involved I have decided that working full time is not for me. I am already retired with Social Security income but with the increase in profits by major manufactures and suppliers, the cost of things had pushed me back out into the workforce. I had hoped that finding a full time job with light duty aspects would come available but I didn't find anything here in my area of that nature. I did find with some help, a full time job as a caretaker housekeeper person at a storage facility but the demands of that position are not light duty, in fact too much of the time I find myself physically degraded from the workload expectation.
     So I informed my boss that I will be looking instead to reduce my hours to about 20 a week, when possible, and give him at least 2 weeks notice, which would help me with all the other things I have going on in my life yet still give me a large enough income to pay the bills. It isn't a mental decision on my part it is a physical one. My body, in this storage position, cannot keep up with the rigors demanded of it. I have so far but I feel every bit of it now and it is just getting harder to keep up. I will keep up until I get another work opportunity but at least I have started the process. I am 68 years old and I want to enjoy what is left of my life not have to be driving myself into the ground to continue with it.
      I have learned this lesson from the last 7 plus months and it is that I can build up to work a full workload but there will be a cost physically that I cannot afford to pay. Young people have little idea what I mean by this because they don't know just how much our older bodies decline from our more youthful strengths. I have to take care of me and if I am lucky and I can find a working position that honors my college degree with something of a more mental workload as opposed to physical I would consider that however I am certain that working 20 hours a week will allow me the freedom to take care of all the things that I need to do on the homefront. Quality of life at this stage is far more important that any quantity that I would suffer to add to my life.

(#5363) How many innocent people have to die before putin is removed from power?

      You can already hear the blame being bandied about between Egypt and Iran being culpable for the missile attacks on Israel but the ringleader has always been putin. He is pulling strings all over the world in order to put together his psychotic vision of domination. Many are denying the concept that the attack on israel is a distraction from Ukraine but even them having to deny it shows it is a distraction. I mean c;mon, we are distracted out here in the regular world. The criminal psychotic putin is up to neck in all these missile attacks on israel. Think about it, he hits Ukraine on a daily basis for nearly 2 years with missiles on Ukrainian society, just like the attack by hamas on Israel.
     I don't need to be convinced that bad people make bad things happen and in the case of putin there is no doubt that he is the master of death and destruction. He must be relieved of any power to make more chaos in the world. This is the charge of democratic societies, relieve the rest of the world of the chaos masters and bring the world into a reality of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We democrats have to come to the point of putting up or shutting up. Fighting for the best ideals the world has ever had under human control is the correct thing to do and what we must do. No one likes to have to fight but when the fight comes at you then you must defend yourself with a vengeance on the aggressor.
     Fighting is a last resort. Yes, even for me. But I will fight with a steely eyed vengeance anytime a fight is brought to my feet. So I must if I wish to survive. It is the same with democracy. When someone tries to dismantle our greatest achievement in human history so that they can harm requires our immediate attention as if we had just been sucker punched. Such is the case in Ukraine. The demented putin has decided that his quest to dismantle democracy begins In Ukraine and if we don't stop and then end the reign of putin then the world will feel a greater war none of us who love freedom should have to endure. The Ukrainian invasion by Russia is where all of putin's madness must end!

(#5362) The calamity in the world is down to putin!

      The moment the attack by Hamas happened in Israel is when I knew putin was behind it. There is only one person who benefits from that attack and it is putin. He wants so badly to destroy the alliance Ukraine has with the west and his last best option is to distract the world with another conflict. If you don't see this as true you are not as attuned to the world as you should be. He, putin, is a death merchant and when he doesn't get his way he creates the death of others to force his way forward. This is just another war crime perpetrated by putin and as surely as time will pass we will find the links to all of it to justify what I am saying here.
     That being said we in the west need to keep our focus on stopping putin as an answer to solving conflicts and reclaiming some peaceful stability. The Middle East has always been an unsettled dynamic and with the leader of Israel a wannabe fascist in the mold of putin the opportunity for putin to help himself in his hour of need arose. If bibi had not been such a fascist embracer and instead sought to work with Palestine to bring about a two state solution then this type of massacre would not be readily available. Fascists who want to dominate others are anti democratic and the fewer fascists in the world the more life. liberty, and the pursuit of happiness flourishes.
     There is no master race! There are just we human beings from varying cultures that are now so intertwined into a melting pot of our one human species. Those who play on the fears of race and gender are psychotic merchants of greed and selfishness. They have one agenda and that agenda is to rule the world. Fascists in all corners of our planet need to be broken down and shown the error of their way. We are all due our rights as free human beings and no fascist person has the right to change that! The end of putin's power on this planet must be now and if not now then the next intentional strategic calamity to aid putin is just around the corner.

(#5361) The end of the reign of putin will bring about greater democracy

      In my lifetime never has a man held so much sway over whether democracy flourishes or not. I was raised under the threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union but this is so much more pervasive. Then it was the logic of a mutually assured destruction that kept each side safe from an ultimate world calamity but with putin there is no mutually assured zero sum logic. He wants what he wants and he will not take no for an answer even if it means total destruction around him. So before he gets to that point the plan should be to remove him from power.
     However that removal process proceeds, it needs to be done before putin has his way with his revenge on the world. I am trying to put myself into his shoes and think like him in a most despicable way. He will not care about his offspring, nor his immediate family, he will only want what makes him the giver of the last word. Throughout all his war crimes he has shown that his care for how history perceives him is nothing to him. He doesn't think in the terms of destiny, only revenge. He is a petty man who cannot stand not getting his way. He should never have been allowed to remain as the leader of Russia, but nothing about the past can be changed.
     However the future is yet to be written and anything is still possible to not only make the world a more beautiful place but to stop any madness he may conclude is his destiny. He is not the kind of person who can be trusted with the life and liberty of any people. His deranged sense of entitlement and deserves has gone beyond any boundary of normalcy. He is not for any people, not even those who are his followers. His strategy is to have everything he wants until he gets everything he wants. There is no middle ground with him. His few allies now are not as attuned to his agenda as they think they are and they themselves will find that their decision to ally with him will bring them no relief however the future plays out.
     

(#5360) Trying to convince my neighbor about the benefits of Universal health care

      I have a neighbor who is now getting ready to pay over $6,000 a month to a palliative care home. I tried to tell her that if we had universal health care coverage she would not need to pay anywhere near that amount. But her immediate response was well there are 3 million more people here in California. Well I have known for sometime that her and her husband are republicans but since we live next to each other I keep politics out of our occasional discourses. But in this case her understanding that 3 million more people would be eligible for health care chapped my hide. I told her that it would be good for them since keeping our nation healthy is a priority.
     My main point to her was that health care issues like what is happening to her husband should not remove all the savings and investments they have done in their lifetime. No one should be charged exorbitant amounts to care for their elderly spouses when physical liabilities occur. Her husband is likely not coming back home since he cannot walk on his own and must be cared for 24-7. So it is the care home for him even though he is not in any imminent death diagnosis. He will likely live out his days in the care home for how many years is uncertain at best. The monthly payments will eat away their savings and in time there will be little left of their nest egg.
     I think she began to understand that not only are the poor served by universal health care but even the moderately well off. Too many couples have had their life savings taken away through for profit care homes and to me that is not how this should be. A universal health care system helps everyone and should be our model like in 72 other countries who enjoy much higher life expectancies than those countries that don't have publicly funded health care. One inch at a time with some folks and I don't know if she will ever be cool with helping everyone while she is being helped herself but maybe she will come around when she thinks on it some more. No expectations though...

(#5359) Wearing down physically but my spirit remains high

      It seems that with age I am getting more responsibility not less. I guess it is because I am aware that my time in this existence is closer to being over than when I started. That is fine with me since I had long ago rectified it with myself that I could not change the physics of this reality in my short lifetime. My body is wearing down and now that I am working 40 hours a week in a job that has me doing enough physical labor to justify the wearing down I am really very sore in every part of myself. I also am taking care of the needs of my brother who is in hospice care while keeping my home running somewhat efficiently, along with caring for my 4 animals.
     Despite all of this though I still wake up early in the morning and get myself ready to launch into my day. It is because I still like being alive and although it is somewhat a drudgery at the moment the overall picture is still encouraging. Even the drudgery part of my days seem to be lessening as my body gets closer to acclimating to a new schedule. From working part time as a driver to working full time as basically a custodian of a large indoor storage unit the transition is not easy for this 68 year old man. It isn't just my age that I bring to my duties it is all the wear and tear I had previously from the rugged work, to name a few,, underground miner, residential and industrial framer, and tree logger, I was involved in previously in my life.
     I am at a point now in my life where the wisdom of my experiences is beginning to play out in a much more efficient and timely way. I do things smarter and with less effort as is possible. This helps me keep my mental health invigorated because to me there is little better in life than a job well done in an environment that I get to design. Where I can utilize my diminishing physicality through smart planning I can prolong my slowing closing work career with a modicum of pride and accomplishment. To me there is nobility in all honest work and as long as I do my part and not harm myself in the process I will keep being happy as my days in the workforce continue.

(#5358) I appreciate me

      It doesn't seem to matter to many people that when you do them a solid favor they just expect it. I suppose not acknowledging such things is part of who they are or what they have become but it is a bit irritating to those who like me are left with no thanks. I admit that it does rankle me just a little bit but then it goes away and I pat myself on my own back for a job well done. This little process of mine seems to do the trick as I am ready afterwards to do another favor when the correct opportunity arrives. Now I don't encourage behavior that is less than desired but then again I can only control that which I institigate.
     To live a life of example is lonely at times thus the occasional hope that someone would say thanks for me going beyond the norm for them. Yet living life as an example of how life should be lived is greater than my own place in it. I do matter but really not as much as the principles that guide my life. There is honor in all positive things done with the correct attitude and the willingness to be humble in the doing of them. I know this and it is the salve that keeps me level headed despite my human emotions. I am not an automaton so emotions are part of my make up. Even seeing the bigger picture sometimes is not enough to placate the feeling of not being appreciated.
     I am in a mood this morning and this post is a reflection of that. I know my attention to a slight is underwhelming as a subject and there are greater worries in the world than hurt feelings but dealing with those hurt feelings and putting them into a perspective that moves us beyond them is no slight accomplishment. It is kind of cool how these odd different subjects come across my mental screen and form themselves into a discussion I have primarily with myself then anyone who may read this and that is somewhat cathartic. Keeping the smile on my face and a good healthy a attitude starting each day is more than just trivial to me.

(#5357) The slow arc of justice

      Like Dr. King spoke of, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” "Change takes a long time, but it does happen"-Google.. The same can be said of the deserves both trump and putin have coming. Both are reprehensible beings for their incomprehensible behavior toward others. The same can be said of musk and his now clear hatred of those who are not like him. He couches his words to reflect the least amount of derogatory animus but the sniveling underlying prejudice is without doubt. These types of people have so far been successful in hiding their true intent but the time for that is over.
     Both trump and musk will feel the pain of resource loss while trump will feel much more once his other trials begin. What happens to putin is still uncertain but he is the most vulnerable to the worse loss of all. He has made himself an enemy of so many angry folks that his very survival is certainly in question. All of them are finding their cost/benefit equation not bent toward benefit. They have benefitted mightily from their wrangled successes but now that time is over and there will be no more successes coming to any of them. Which is appropriate since they are all the worst of what humanity has produced.
     I know that in the heart of most all people is the good that is waiting to come out so when we are faced with these types who are not like normal people we are a bit confused as to how to relate to them. They force us to react to them even when they are not trying because they do such abnormal things that fall far outside the bounds of normalcy. But react we must and united we should be in dealing with them because they do not understand anything but force against them. They are immune to shame and remorse so they are to be dealt with in a way that leaves no doubt as to our resolve that debased individuals or groups shall not profit off the goodwill of others.

(#5356) I am for Ukraine!

      Nowhere on earth right now is there a more heroic people than Ukrainians! Like Pericles of 5th century BC in Greece, the Ukrainian people are leaders of defending and protecting democracy. Heroic figures fighting now against the tyrant putin and his bootlicking followers. I am an American and a proud citizen who heralds our own Revolutionary War as a harbinger for the rest of the world. What Ukraine is doing now against the tyrant is much like what we did against the monarch. We both needed help from friendly countries in order to achieve our goal of liberty and freedom. While France helped us turn the tide of the war against the British, Ukraine still needs the western countries to help them defeat the Russian horde.
     It has always been a struggle to achieve freedom from the oppressive authoritarian sociopaths who think that they are the only ones who should decide the fate of other beings. Such is the charge of democracy, defeat those who would deny life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to any soul. We Americans and other democracy loving countries are firmly committed to help Ukraine but our commitments need to be less cautious and more aggressive. I do not fear any threat putin will make because he will always be able to make them. So let us not be hindered by what he may do but let him be hindered by what we will do should he not remove himself from Ukraine.
     What has always worked for me is to stand up when my courage was available and pounce with alacrity at a moments notice in order to shut down the latest threat in my life. Threats to me are a strategy and like all strategies will be weighed with the zero sum analysis. Bullies notwithstanding also know that another bully that comes along and bullies them is what they fear most. We in the west are the greatest bully on Earth should we choose so putin needs to feel our determined breath on his fear filled face. Ending this murderous invasion by putin is our charge in the west and taking from putin his revenge from being stood up to by the honorable Ukrainians is our purpose.

(#5355) The republican government shutdown that failed to happen

      My better instinct on this told me that no matter how much republicans threaten to harm Americans there is a tipping point where even they realize that their threats are even worse for them. In the back of my mind I had hoped that the fact of their hostage taking would be too much for them carry out. Well that is what happened in reality. Their hostage taking became too much for them and they backed down at least for the next 45 days. What may change in the next 45 days I am unsure of but it would seem to me that nothing much will change the dynamics of going through this again at that time.
     President Biden and the rest of the democratic party leadership did the correct thing in not negotiating with the republican blackmailers. Instead they held true to the principle of ethical process and the ideal of helping the American people not hurting us. So at the last minute republicans were forced to concede their blackmail and accepted the reality of a bipartisan approach to ending this absurd government shutdown coercion. What republicans did though was scare a lot of people who now must be wary of the republican party and their motives going forward. What this did to the democratic party was solidify our resolve to end republican rule in the House of Representatives.
     Our nation must be led by people of good faith and honest motive. We currently don't have that with the House of Representatives. We democrats are only a few federal districts short from reclaiming the majority next November 5th 2024 for us to have the leadership back and that now is a real probable happening. The republican brand is at best confusing. What do they stand for if not for our Constitution, democracy, and equality? Because I don't see them championing any of these honorable ideals. We democrats have long been the party of all the people and it is our quest in life to truly make America the greatest democracy in the world through our Constitution and the fullness of equality, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

(#5354) Republicans don't have the votes for their agenda so shutting down the government is their tantrum.

      If you are new to how republicans operate here is a short primer. They look for nefarious shortcuts. There is no other way for them since they are the minority party. They are good at manipulating elections to get what little power they hold but not any good at governing. Hence the looming government shutdown. One of the main reasons for the shutdown is because they are against "woke". Which means enlightened to new ideas that work for everyone over old ideas that only keep people oppressed. So once again we have a situation where republicans are threatening to harm many so that they can try to blackmail the will of the people. No such luck this attempt either since the rest of us have already been harmed by this republican tactic in the past.
     But we must not let them get away with it easily. There will be many millions who will not be paid their weekly wages such as federal workers and military service persons. Those of us vast majority who live paycheck to paycheck are under extreme duress over tantrums like this that republicans hope to turn into their advantage. Well I say that every person who doesn't get their paycheck for services and labor they have already given then the republican party should not get one vote from these folks going forward in the next election. It isn't just the workers who get the shaft from republicans on this. It is the families, the wives, husbands, sons and daughters who will not get what they timely need.
     All because the republican party in the House and some in the Senate have made it their goal to harm America whenever they cannot politically steamroll the will of the people. I personally would never vote for a political party that sought to harm me instead of help me. Neither should any American. So what happens when the dust settles on all of this and the republican party finally relents and produces a budget to keep our government open is clear to me. Many will be set back into defaults that republicans caused and will have to struggle harder to get back to where they were before the republican tantrum they were forced to endure. Why put ourselves through this by voting for republicans? They seem to think that they are the bosses of us and we not the bosses of them. Let's remind them that we are their boss come November 5th 2024.

(#5353) Courage is a beautiful thing

      There are a few human traits that absolutely attract me to those who exemplify them. Such as courage, selflessness, and kindness. There are more but right off the top of my head these three are most prominent, in general, as attracting to me in my life. When I see people who are reflecting out these noble human instincts I am flooded with emotion and awe. I have always been one who learns about the goodness in life through trial and error. Sure, there are some things I have applied logic to in order to understand the one dimensional concept but it is in the doing where I realize the length, width, and depth of that knowing.
     For me courage is the greatest of these three. My reason being is that so very few understand the necessity of courage when it is most needed. Some do and those are the ones who I feel an affinity with. Conquering fear, by the way fear is the worst of our baser human natures, yes, even worse than our depravities, is tantamount to the greatest of love. When we are able to stand up against our demons and call them out we are exemplifying the love we have for the better and best of who we are as human beings. Nothing I can think of is as comparable. I am always honored to be in the company of those who whether any knows of not have found courage when so may others shrank from their opportunity.
     With courage being the greatest attribute of the human instinct, selflessness and kindness are a close second. When I see or hear of others who are more concerned with the lesser of our societies it bonds me to them in an existential way. I feel we are a part of each other in a way that is greater than any blood or oath bond. We humans are an amazingly exceptional species and when we express our best attributes it syncs in my soul in such a universal way. Like the time space continuum that we are all part of is somehow whole. Nothing beyond these three human instincts is worthy of our honor. Some cannot understand a purpose for themselves in life but I would posit that being courageous, selfless, and kind is the only purpose we all should have.

(#5352) Ukraine should target Russian energy infrastructure

      The idea that putin can mercilessly attack Ukrainian energy infrastructure without a reciprocal response from Ukraine is tunnel vision. This is Russia invading Ukraine not Ukraine starting an invasion of Russia. But since Russia started this murderous attack, Ukraine should by all means make life miserable for the people of Russia who support the tyrant putin. The Ukrainian people have already suffered under Russian destroyed energy sectors in the dead of winter so while Russians sit home in their comfort and do nothing to stop putin then they should also feel the deprivation of needed energy necessities.
     The Russian people should have the same experience of living without heat or running water for their acquiescence of allowing putin to do the same thing to Ukraine. The Russian people should feel fortunate that Ukraine is not averse to committing war crimes against them like putin does to Ukraine. But putting the energy system in Russia in jeopardy is fair game. Since the Russian people think that warring in Ukraine is allowable then they should also feel the real life agony of their choice. War is hell for the ones attacked but should as well be for the ones who attack. The Russian people will learn the real life suffering that Ukraine is forced to endure because Russian citizenry allow it to happen to their eternal shame.
     A just world demands equivalent  reciprocal responses and in this instance there is no diversion. If Ukraine must go without energy then Russia should as well since they started the invasion of Ukraine. Pain and suffering is what Russia is causing in Ukraine because putin is a tyrant who hates democracy in other countries. So pain and suffering is what the Russian people should feel since they lack the conviction to stop putin from doing harm whenever and wherever he wants. He is their leader and they should by extension suffer from his bad choices. They were expecting to profit from his hoped for annexation of Ukraine now they should feel the cost of what putin is doing in Ukraine.

(#5351) Ukraine needs advanced weapons

      The F-16's would be a game changer but they will not likely arrive before the end of the year. The long range missiles would also be a game changer but the hesitancy from the west to supply Ukraine with them is not helpful. So what is Ukraine to do to protect world democracy against a democracy destroyer like Russia's putin? The only real option Ukraine has is to put their troops into greater jeopardy. The Ukrainian infantry will be relied upon to do the work that advanced weapons could do. The difference being brave Ukrainian soldiers will lose their lives.
     It saddens me and every democracy loving patriot around the world that The Ukrainian soldiers will be expended where in a more courageous world they would still be alive to see the eventual victory over tyranny. It has been so since the beginning of time that old men fight wars and young men die in them. Young men and women in the Ukrainian forces do not need that same historic fate. We the old men of the world must remember to live our lives as if we were young and do everything in our power to protect the young so that their time in existence is a value to them and our species at large.
     Ukraine should not have to sacrifice their young souls against the monster putin. Ukrainians stood up to putin to fight for the ideal of democracy so the rest of us who are not on the battlefield need to back the Ukrainians with everything we have. This fight in Ukraine is existential as it is for the very survival of our species. Democracy is the only instrument of an enlightened society that will guarantee the continuation of our species. As we see now with the tyrant putin and his threats, democracy is the only check on the madness some deranged men too often display. We the world need to give the Ukrainians all they need and do it now before more of the bravest souls on Earth have to die when the appropriate weapon would have sufficed.