Like a Bad Penny...

 Well.  Here I am again. Between Hub and myself, we've had a rather nasty year. First, I had a bad reaction to a new medication and wound up in the emergency room twice. I had so many diagnoses I should have been dead on the spot.  Finally, I just stopped taking what I thought was causing the problem and it did, in fact, go away. Hmmm.

Next came a complete slowdown of activity from Hub.  He just plain stopped doing work that had to be done. Finally, when the chest pains and tightness got to the point they even worried him, it was off to the emergency room once again.

His problem, initially, was bleeding ulcers.  They pumped him full of blood and did a few other tests. To make a long story short, he is now thoroughly stented and well on his way to recovery.  Knock wood.

So much has happened in the world since May. Inflation has skyrocketed, and the war in Ukraine continues as does our funding of their weaponry.  Crime doesn't seem to have waned any. Our political parties are still fighting like a bunch of kids on a playground. Government transparency is in the eye of the beholder and Joe Biden. He has done nothing to convince me he should run for President again, nor has Trump. If there is any good news, the pandemic is over though there still seems to be an undercurrent of debate on that in some political circles.

Nevertheless, I'm still here and will try my best to offer an old lady's perspective on the world's happenings as they occur. Or hit my hot button which is far more likely.

First You Say You Will and Then You Don't

 I know there has been colossal blowback about the amount of money this President has asked for military aid for Ukraine. We need the money for our own problems.  I understand that.  Really, I do.

On the other hand, Ukraine is a sovereign nation invaded by a much larger and better equipped Russia. It is by no means a fair fight and the world should be helping Ukraine with the weaponry they need. 

It's tough.  I know that but what happens if Russia succeeds in destroying Ukraine? Who will be next? Even more important, at least to me, doesn't the world have a moral obligation to do the best they can without putting their own military into Ukrainian territory?  Like supply the arms Ukraine asked for?

Biden has pussy footed around this issue since the invasion. Then it seemed like he finally got some guts and now he has reneged. Heaven forbid the Ukrainians should have weapons capable of getting into Russian territory. Isn't the point making it possible for them to defeat the aggressors?

I don't know.  This is just an old lady trying to sort it out.  It seems to me though, that this reversal by Biden is just one more nail in the coffin of American trustworthiness. We don't have their back. We won't give them what we promised. 

Putin is weakened by illness.  It has been reported he has about three years to live.  Will this encourage him to double down? Probably. Wouldn't it be prudent to help the country now engaged in battle with him to win?  To beat him back?  To make it abundantly clear this is unacceptable behavior? 

One last thought.  Should we need some help at some point, who would be there? Your guess is as good as mine.

Will a New Tea Party be Parent Driven?

 Now is the time! Parents have a new reason to seize the bully pulpit from the politicians and their minions!

It began to gain steam when parents were becoming aware of what their kids were being taught in their classroom thanks to being able to observe during the shut down when the kids were doing remote learning.

I do take them to task for not knowing before that.  If one has children one has the obligation to be involved in all aspects of that child's life which certainly includes what goes on in their classrooms.

However, when it became apparent that sexual counseling seems to be allowed for first graders and up without parents being told, and critical race theory seems to be running rampant in parts of the country, the parents did begin to stand up and make themselves heard.  For that, they were arrested and labeled domestic terrorists.  What type of official could even think that?? I could go on for days on that one.

Now they have a new cause for which to give voice. School safety.  What precautions are demanded by school districts and are they being adhered to? It is as important as what's being taught.  As we've so tragically seen once again.

Take it a step further.  Make sure law enforcement isn't allowed to get complacent and make sure the training they have meets the potential threat to the children. 

I've long thought it's time for a third party in this country. If we are truthful with ourselves, we know what each party represents and where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Neither meets the smell test for good governance. A third party can essentially take the politics out of a lot of issues.  Become the Common Sense party for the sake of the children. Politics have no place in the life of a child and should not be forced upon them. When they're old enough to understand the ramifications of politics maybe common sense will prevail.

Parents, it's in your hands.  Believe that your children are our future. Do whatever is necessary for them to live. And learn. No one can do it better. Do you have the collective will to make yourselves really heard? Forget about the slings and arrows. Just do what's right so we don't lose another 19 young ones to a sequence of events that could and should have been averted.

Uvalde - Everyone Seems to have a Piece of the Blame

 I don't want to come down too hard on the Uvalde police for several reasons. I do not know all the facts, and the police have really been taking it on the chin since all the defunding movements. Their morale must be at rock bottom and fear of doing the wrong thing is always looming. However, I'd seriously look at the training they're getting.

That being said, there is a reason for raised eyebrows.  Since when do police run from a fight?  Why didn't they try to get into the school through windows or other means instead of waiting for backup? Especially when children were involved? That's only one question that has popped into my mind.

Why were there so many conflicting stories from those who should have been in the know?

I can almost give the teachers a pass because they weren't expecting what happened and fear and adrenaline can confuse. However, relaxing procedures and blocking open a door when in a crisis might indicate the lack of instilling those procedures over and over until they become so habitual fear cannot overcome them.

Politicians were, as usual, over the top in politicizing the incident. The media was too quick to report without verifying information. Again, nothing new.

Man, there's a lot of blame to go around. I'm thinking it's time for an entire societal reset in this country.  From child safety to mental health issues in our kids - and adults for that matter - policing and first and foremost, intelligent leadership.  Less time spent on the right to use gender pronouns that aren't real and more time looking at why parents are not welcome in the classroom,  why questionable subjects can be underhandedly pursued, and why suddenly it's okay for biological men to compete in sports as women. Which they are not. Period.

Uvalde is an example of what happens when what's important is allowed to slide into apathy and complacency by those who should be monitoring it. I'd say it is a small example because it's a small town, but that's not true. It's huge. Twenty-one people are dead. Nineteen children. It's huge.

The Horror of Children Killing Children

Illustration by Golden Cosmos

 The least heard words regarding the unspeakable tragedy in Uvalde, Texas were "this is not the time for politics". It took about 32 seconds before the mass shooting turned political. First by the President, then again today by political wannabe, Beto O'Rourke.

The next words were finally mentioned but will be ignored. "There is a mental health crisis in our country."

To be sure. I have another question though. What turns an 18-year-old youngster into a mass murderer.  Yes, of course, they have mental problems, but why?

You see, I don't consider an 18-year-old an adult.  I know all the arguments as to why they are. I just don't happen to agree with most of them.  Obviously, some of them are far too impressionable to be able to make wise decisions. So who is failing them?

First and foremost, I have to look at the parents. How can they be so self-absorbed they cannot see the problems their children are having? Or are they just so ill-prepared they shouldn't have had kids in the first place?  I mean, what kind of a horrific argument could anyone have with their grandmother that would lead to shooting her in the face?

Then on to school officials? Interviews at crime scenes with kids to find out what a schoolmate was like should be coming from faculty who should be on the lookout for odd behaviors.  Our teachers did that way back in the dark ages when I was in school! We didn't have mass shootings back then either.

There are so many places to point fingers I can't even count them.  The least of which is more gun laws. Let's look at actually enforcing the ones we have. 

I'm not a big gun person. I have friends who have concealed carry permits and I must admit they make me uncomfortable.  I see the other side of it too and instances where those carrying have saved lives. We have open carry here.  That really makes me feel uncomfortable because I see it as more of an in-your-face action than one of safety. Funny, those laws are strictly enforced.

Back to the state of mind though.  It saddens and scares me that ballpark eighteen-year-olds are capable of such actions.  That they are so deranged at such a young age. And that they, in cold blood,  can take the lives of those so young they've barely gotten their foot in the door of life.

Let's stop the blame game for political ends.  Please. Please. The political season is upon us for the next several months. Let's not waste it with the vitriolic pettiness than is engulfing us. There must be some adults that are willing to come into the room.  Some younger than me, and smarter, but just as concerned and caring. Please. Please.

Attitude Adjustment - Well We Tried

 Okay, I'm going to say it.  Under the current leadership, this country has lost its way to the point I wonder if it will return to its former glory in my lifetime.

It's sad. Very sad. My emotions are shot. My back hurts and the meds are tearing up my innards.  Lovely.

Usually, a bit earlier than this, we typically go to Yellowstone to look for bears and wolves to photograph. This year, on the advice of a friend, we tried Teton NP instead. We struck out big time.  Other than Elk too far in the distance and Bison, of which I must have 10,000 photos, all we saw was a solitary coyote.

That's okay though. Just getting a change of scenery had great appeal. The Tetons were still iced with snow and were beautiful

However, getting away isn't what we expected.  Lodging rates are through the roof.  Of course, that is expected in Jackson.  What wasn't expected was a $500 tab for two nights at the Hampton Inn where we had to ask for clean towels and they didn't even make the bed, much less provide clean linens. Okay. It has been said that they can't get the help.  I don't buy it.  The entire town had construction projects of one type or another underway. The workers were mostly Hispanic, of some sort, because the conversations we could hear were all in Spanish. Not that hospitality workers have to be Hispanic, by any means, but we didn't see the women.  Certainly, some of the young men had wives.  Or did they? I will give them credit though.  They were working and I'm sure making a good wage.

Practically every business had a help wanted sign displayed.  It made sense since the summer season is just around the corner and for jobs requiring training, those businesses want to get started. 

Our respite from the real world was within the confines of the park, wildlife or not. It was peaceful. The air was fresh. The scenery was beautiful.

Home now, I spend a lot of time watching this year's owlets learn about life.  They've gotten huge and are finding out about wings. They are adorable and entertaining. I've become very fond of our backyard as I watch their Mom and Dad wait and watch every single day. 

With a weekend full of horrible shootings across the country, I'm beginning to think I don't need a change of scenery after all, especially if I have to do the housework anyway!

The Economics of Abortion

 It didn't take long for the politicians and media to politicize the leak of the draft of the Supreme Court opinion on whether or not the Mississippi law on abortion which asks if the right to an abortion is a Constitutional issue.

First, the outrage should be over the idea that someone on a Justice's staff had the insolence to leak anything.

Second, the rush to point accusatory fingers is purely subjective along ideological lines and should have been held back until more details of what the draft actually says are known.

All that being said, I will be the first to admit I have very mixed feelings over the abortion argument that will never be put to rest until there is a definitive truth as to just when life actually begins. I've heard the arguments from every angle you can imagine, but to date, they are no more than opinions.

I do have some very strong opinions, myself, on aspects after the fetus is proven viable. But there is a portion of this whole situation that is never discussed and needs to be. 

Who gets an abortion and why? The why's range from just not wanting a child to not wanting to bring forth a life conceived during a rape. Okay.  No argument there. Where do the economics come in?

If abortion was outlawed millions of children would be brought into the world. If the mothers did not want or were not able to keep these children and raise them and educate them what would become of them? Some would be adopted. Yes.  But by no means all.  More orphanages? Most likely. Is there a plan for that?  Is there funding? Consider what all that involves. Feeding, clothing, and education are not cheap. And what about those born with mental deficiencies?  Add another layer of expense. 

There is no easy answer, but this is an aspect of it I never, ever hear discussed.  

Abortion, the right to life, a woman's right to choose. Sloganeering at best. I don't envy the justices on the court having to deal with this issue, especially in today's political climate. I also don't envy them for having to deal with the firestorm this leak of an unrendered opinion has created. 

I hope whoever did the leaking is caught and faces severe consequences for breaking a trust. If this era of the powerful and their minions getting a pass for egregious actions without consequence continues, we'll have the entire contents of the Constitution relegated to the out stack of a disgruntled few. There will be consequences, however.  For all the rest of us and we'll have no court to sort it out.

Parenting In Today's World

 I have two passions that consume my time in these, my latter years.  One is writing my 'Slobbers' books. The second is keeping track of our yard's resident Great Horned Owls.

In the late winter, and early spring they make themselves known because they get very vocal during mating season. It has always been interesting to me that the male has a low-pitched hoot, which I would expect. The female, a somewhat higher pitch. Yet size wise, the male is smaller than the female. How they do court one another!

Getting to see them is difficult at best because of their nocturnal habits though at times they will spend a day in a leafless tree.  Some years they tolerate me with my ever-ready camera, other times they take off as soon as I appear. This year they have been a bit spooky until just lately. For the past several weeks the male has been perching on several snags, tree limbs, and even our pergola which is quite close to the house. If I'm careful, I get wonderful photos.

That aside, Dad is perching away from the nest because Mom is tending the eggs and now the hatchlings. I am over the moon that I located them this morning and will be keeping track of what looks to be three as they learn about life beyond the nest.

Now that they have hatched, Mom and Dad will take turns tending them so the other can rest. After the eggs are laid, Dad takes over the stockpiling of food at night while Mom guards the eggs. They both have tremendous responsibilities and they do what needs to be done to see that those responsibilities are carried out. From now until it's time to send the kids off on their own, which will be at summer's end, both parents will be hovering around their offspring, feeding them, teaching them to fly and to hunt. It's called parenting. It is wonderful to watch.

It's interesting to me that animals, be they birds or mammals, take on the challenge of what comes naturally to them, having kids and raising them.  They don't complain.  They don't run away from it. They just do what needs to be done.  It comes naturally to them.

It seems to me a lot of my fellow humans could take some parenting lessons from our 'less intelligent' neighbors.

It Didn't Have to Come to This!

 My, the Kremlin has been busy today. Let's go back a few days though.  Sweden and Finland are both tidying up their internal business so they can join NATO.  Probably a wise decision since Putin has now declared that World War 3 has begun.

Then the Ukrainians blew up a Russian ship.  First Russia denied it, then turned around and admitted it. Uh oh.  This is not good.  Never mind that the ship was in Ukrainian waters and shelling Ukrainian territory. I suppose to Putin's way of thinking, blowing up his ship was an escalation of the war. Whatever he thinks, this was an embarrassing loss for the Russians.

Now he's threatening the use of nuclear weapons. It's anyone's guess who will be on the receiving end, but you can be sure the first will be Ukraine. After all, people are escalating the war he started!

The bluster is now in high dudgeon. Putin has warned Sweden and Finland against joining NATO. He has told us to stop supplying weapons, and who knows what else since I turned off the news a while ago.

Will Biden get a backbone or will he cave to Putin's demands? This could have been avoided if we had given the Ukrainians what they needed in anticipation of the invasion.  I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know something evil was afoot when the Russians were amassing forces on the Ukrainian border. A training exercise?  In a country the size of Russia, they hardly had to go to the border of a neighboring country to hold exercises.

Who knows where this is going to go and how fast.  I still wonder about two things.  One, how did Putin get inside the head of our President that in essence paralyzed him from doing what was right. Especially since there isn't much in his head, to begin with. It isn't his fault. I know that, but to think he has his finger inches away from our own nuclear button scares the hell out of me!

Two, if Putin didn't get in Joe's head, what does he have on Joe and/or his family? I've wondered about that on this blog before. Whichever, it does not bode well for the world.

I suppose the agonizing over which of our high-level officials is going to be sent to Ukraine to show that we can play like the big boys like Boris Johnson. I heard speculation it might be Kamala Harris. It may be more shrewd than I think. They could let their guard down while listening to her laugh about the death and destruction that will surround her. Or, they could lose their concentration while waiting for her to string together enough words to make a cognizant sentence.

This is not a happy post for Good Friday. It is made even sadder to think the Ukranians will not be decorating their spectacular Easter eggs this season. I can only hope they know that the American people are behind them even if our government isn't.

Where You WON'T See Biden!

 Hooray for BoJo! It's nice to see some unadulterated courage from a Western leader. Boris Johnson walking down a street in Kyiv with Ukraine's Zelensky. Never mind that Joe can barely walk on a White House sidewalk.

Hopefully, some other western nations will take a page from Johnson's book and start supplying the Ukranians with what they really need to stave off the Russians.

I think Biden and the rest of them are whistling past the graveyard in their entire approach. I don't see Putin as one to withdraw and pout. I see him as one who will become more and more inhumane the more he is backed into a corner and it will overflow into nearby countries like Poland sooner rather than later.

Why is it the west is so worried about the very appearance of escalation while that's all Putin's actions have been?  The escalation of war against a sovereign nation.

Easter Sunday is rapidly approaching. The day the son of the Christian God rose from the dead. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it signified the day Ukraine began to rise again? Unfortunately, that great power has yet to smile upon them. A sign would help.  Any sign.  Maybe the weapons they need in a timely manner? At the very least, weapons without missing parts?

The one thing they can be sure won't be there for them is the United States. I never thought I could see a darker hour than the Afghanistan withdrawal in our current day and age, but I have.  We can't be accused of abandoning them in their darkest hour when we haven't even acknowledged it exists. 

This administration should be ashamed, but alas, it is not. And we, the citizens, are all paying dearly for it. Not as dearly as the Ukranians, to be sure, but dearly, never-the-less.

If Ever There Was An Empty Word It Would Be "Sanctions"

We continue talking about more sanctions while people are still dying.  What's wrong with this picture?  Janet Yellen even stated we'd apply sanctions on China should they invade Taiwan!

Well, we all know how well that works! And now we're sanctioning Putin's daughters and the wife of his foreign minister.  What does that mean?  They can't run off to Paris to do their shopping? Please!

Financially, the Ruble is almost as strong as it was prior to the beginning of the sanctions.  Why? Because the world is still buying Russian oil.  Why?  Because we can't supply it because we're so obsessed with going green we won't lift the sanctions on our own production to make up the slack. Please!

Okay, I understand the politics of it - to an extent.  Biden is afraid of the far left and they are the green weenies. Therefore he won't lift the sanctions on domestic production. He's apparently also afraid of Putin.  I've asked before, why?  Putin's military is severely weakened and he really doesn't want a nuclear confrontation any more than anyone else because he, too, will be destroyed.  I've harped on this before, I know.

Yesterday I watched with a mix of sadness and horror at a lost old man wandering around a reception room at the White House after remarks by himself and former President Obama. He was totally ignored while the attendees swarmed around Obama.  Even he ignored Biden. This old man, lost and alone, is our President. Talk about sadness and horror. 

It just irritates me that all these suits, his minions, sit around talking while people are dying. From my perspective, and it's a pessimistic one to be sure, there will be no World War 3 because the suits will just roll over. They wouldn't want to make Putin mad.  Putin is one man! How can the whole world be so afraid of him that no one will stand up to him? 

Let's face it.  What wins wars? Superior weaponry or at least an even playing field and the will to win. And maybe, just maybe, being on the right side of the fight.  In the case of Ukraine, which side are we on?

Biden's and the World's Bloody Hands

Moral indignation, my foot! How can anyone, even a politician, claim to have moral indignation yet turn a blind eye to the atrocities happening in Ukraine by the Russians?  And how in the world, can we be using Russia to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran?  This whole administration needs a sanity check.

Actually, Biden isn't alone.  For some reason, this mentally feeble old man seems to have the entire free world cowed when it comes to giving the necessary weapons to Ukraine.  Why is that?  There but for the grace of God is all of them! They will be there if Ukraine loses. In the name of God, give the Ukrainians the MIGs! 

Oh, how I wish at least one of the six or so people who read this blog had the ear of someone with a degree of sanity along with some power in this administration. Could he possibly, really want Putin to win?

When Biden stated Putin should be removed, well, so should he.  Unfortunately, the two in immediate succession are as bad as he is.  Have you ever heard Kamala Harris utter a comprehensible sentence?  Have you heard a coherent utterance from Nancy Pelosi of late? It's downright frightening and depressing that these are the leaders of our country.  Elected by us, no less.

In case you think my argument about age-related acuity is blowing smoke, let me suggest this. Seek out someone 80 years of age plus or minus a year or so. Sit down and have a chat with them.  Look for how many times they have to stop and search for a word or a name.  It will happen. Watch to see if while you're speaking or looking at something on your phone or computer together, they nod off.  It will happen. If you ask them about it, they'll deny it. Guaranteed. Watch what time of day their energy begins to fade and what time they retire.  It's part of the aging process.

People like this have no business trying to run a country.  They forget things if they even comprehended them in the first place.  Don't be fooled by the likes of Trump.  He may look like the Energizer Bunny next to Biden, but I guarantee you he will be suffering from the same lapses. Pair that with his ego, his bent for revenge and his being a lame duck from the get-go if re-elected, what would we be getting? No improvement, that's for sure.

It's time for the rest of the world, someone somewhere, to step forward and take control of the armament of Ukraine. Bear in mind that no weapon is a weapon of aggression when your homeland has been invaded. Remember, too, if you want to look at it this way, Ukraine is the only landmass that stands between eastern Europe and the Russians. If it falls, guess who will have tanks on their border waiting for the signal.

Don't forget the innocent civilians - the women who have been raped in front of their children and the children who have been slain, the men found dead with their hands taped behind them, dogs wantonly shot - for target practice? Civilians.

Putin has nothing to lose. He's finished in the eyes of the world. The rest of the 'free' world, including us, could be finished too if they/we don't stand up to him now. Or let the Ukranians do the job, they are at least willing, but for God's sake - give them the MIGs!

I "Woke" Up to a Disney Nightmare

 

Maybe we should have seen it coming. It hurts anyway.  You see, I loved everything Disney during my childhood and beyond.  I even made a few bucks as a kid painting the dogs from Lady and the Tramp for our annual church bazaar. For a time I dreamed of becoming an illustrator for Disney and might have had I gone on to study art.

As I was reflecting on those wonderful years it occurred to me that this shift to the woke culture at Disney may have been in the offing and we just didn't see it coming.

Did you know that there have been at least fifteen women of note who played Peter Pan?  Never mind that the smaller female stature made it easier to portray a boy.  

Here are some of the more recent ones whose names you might recognize: Jean Arthur, Veronica Lake,

Haley Mills, Mia Farrow, Sandy Duncan, Cathy Rigby, and Allison Williams, daughter of Brian Williams, late of MSNBC's anchor desk.

Just think, for hours and days at a time, these women all identified as a boy! Wowser.  Who knew? So be it.

To me, be it Orlando or any other Disney facility, they will not see one dime of my money until there are again ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.  Period. 

Why is it that less than 10 percent of our total population feel they have the right to try and make the rest of us bow to their outlandish and ridiculous demands?  And why do corporations do so?  Even collectively, they don't have the buying power to put a company like Disney out of business. Every day, ordinary families do, however.  Maybe they should all boycott Disneyland and Disney World until this inanity stops.

Considering a one-day ticket for 10 years old and up costs $109, how can a young family afford it anyway? Figure airfare, car rental, lodging, and meals, it's a bank breaker! Maybe you should break their bank, not yours! Just saying...

The Wicked and the Weak

 Don't trust either of these two men. Ever. 

One, Putin, is pure evil. I feel bad for the Russian people even though they have allowed him to hold power so long he's nearly impossible to remove.  Besides, as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.  Whoever takes his place may be even worse though it's hard to imagine.

The second, of course, is our current President. A man so ensconced in corruption for the past 50 years it's hard to imagine why the people of Delaware kept returning him to the Senate. Now he is President. Another big why. His mental faculties are diminished at best, but as his Vice President recently said, we got what we voted for.

Wake up, people! For now, however, we are stuck. We're stuck with his utterances.  I do understand he could have been genuinely outraged by what Putin is doing to Ukraine. Somehow, though, due to his previous performances, I'm inclined to think it was off the cuff theater. Putting a voice to it could and should have been more politic, but with diminished capacity that's a lot to expect.

So we suffered through a lot of weak explanations and walk backs and the war rages on.  It was suggested today that this administration really doesn't want Russia to lose.  If true, why not? Is it a conspiracy theory that Putin has so much on Biden, Biden dares not push too hard? I think that is within the realm of possibility.

Otherwise, why are we still dithering over military aid to the Ukrainians and why don't we give them the planes they so desperately need? We're still urging Ukraine to make a settlement just as things have shifted slightly in their favor. Such actions do exactly instill confidence that the U.S. has their back. We don't and never have.

I'm wondering who would have our back if we needed it.  It will take years to rebuild the trust that has been squandered - if ever.  We've become so driven by hatred of the opposing party that every action of the presiding administration is to destroy everything the preceding one did whether or not it was good for the country.

This has to stop. The politicians aren't going to be the ones to do it.  We the people will have to step up to the plate and get it done. The politicians who hedge their bets, in both parties, lest they antagonize their campaign contributors, need to be removed from office.  Bye, bye. Retire.  Smell the roses.

The Democrats are mean-spirited and power-hungry and totally absurd.  The Republicans go along to get along and are afraid of their own shadow. It's losing those campaign funds that do trickle in even though they do little to deserve them.

Neither side has done much to help our country.  Biden has one of the most amateurish and incapable Cabinets I've ever seen. Trump had some outstanding people in this Cabinet but they tired of his mercurial moods and methods and left.

Both Biden and Trump have indicated they would like to run. Both would be lame-duck presidents.  Get some new, younger blood in there!

And Putin? If he wins this one, he'll still be lurking around the edges waiting for an opening.  He'll be licking his wounds, but they'll heal and he'll be ready to resume his initial and only goal - to re-create Mother Russia.

If that happens the carnage will not stop. For the love of decency and humanity, give Ukraine the planes and the weapons they need. They aren't asking anyone else to do the fighting for them, they're just asking for what is needed to get it done. Defeat Putin.

What Am I Missing Here?

This is a woman - just ask her

This is a woman yet she cannot define herself

 That certain men feel they are, at heart, women is one thing. That they go to the extent of having body parts added and removed to reinforce their feelings, well okay.  They're the ones who have to live with it. Hopefully, they are happy with their choice.

I covered the subject of them competing in sports with genetically true women in a previous post so I won't go there again.

Today, I'm concerned with those among us who are women not being able to define just what

 

that means. Have we become so enslaved to wokeism we can no longer speak the truth?

Actually, it is the everyday woman who is saying, that's not a woman, that's a man! Period. Discussion ended. I so admire them for their courage, but then I don't think they give a hoot about being canceled.  They're much too busy trying to live their lives and raise their families.

 

 It is disturbing that a woman, who is a woman, a supreme court nominee no less, cannot bring herself to describe just what a woman is. It seems to be if you can't make a decisive description of what you yourself are, in actuality, you have no business sitting on the Supreme Court. How are you going to make a decision on anything?

Funny, when I was a little girl, I was what was called a Tomboy. Mostly, I think, because most of the neighborhood kids were boys and that's with whom I played. I loved sports far more than baby dolls. I preferred blue jeans to frilly dresses. Yet somehow, I never thought of myself as a boy.  I know, I know. I just haven't been there.

What I do remember, though, is when I discovered boys as being something other than an irritant or a playmate. I also remember times when I deeply idolized older girls. There was no label for any of that at that age.  It was called discovering who I was and what life was all about. Confusion wasn't a consideration.  It was just me becoming myself. I didn't need to talk to teachers about it nor did they suggest I do something without telling my parents.  It would have been unheard of.

So I grew up from adolescence into a teen and onto adulthood. I am a woman. I am married to a man. We don't describe ourselves with pronouns any more than we do by race or religion. Neither do we fear being canceled. We are who we are and aren't afraid of offending anyone. I'd like that from the people we look to place in power.

Maybe it's time to revisit the old Helen Reddy hit from the '70s - I Am Woman - I am woman, hear me roar...

Don't remember it? Google it.

What Exactly is a War Crime?

 Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine there has been a lot of terminologies tossed about, much of which has little meaning.

Now that Biden is in Brussels for some face-to-face encounters, I'm wondering if there will be any meat to the rhetoric that will emerge.

I doubt it. I'm convinced that Russia, China, and Ukraine all have something on Joe he does not want to be revealed.  To find out what I guess you'd have to ask Hunter.  Or actually investigate what is on his laptop.

That's the reason I've come up with to explain Biden's reluctance to give more help to the Ukranians. One of the terms bandied about quite a bit is that "it may lead to world war three" or another favorite, "It might be considered escalatory".  This is why we've been slow to provide the aid needed and have stopped members of NATO from picking up the slack. I do wonder why Biden has veto power over the other member nations, or are they just hiding behind his reluctance so they don't have to act? Who knows. War makes strange bedfellows.

I see all of the finger-wagging and foot-dragging as war crimes too. Think about it.  The Ukrainian people did nothing to invite the demolition of their country.  Is not sitting by and letting it happen not a war crime?

The most recent term is that Putin has committed war crimes by targeting civilians, civilian structures, and aid routes.  What do you think? Of course, he has.  But, wasn't the invasion of a sovereign nation also a war crime?

Words and finger-wagging while innocent people are being annihilated is a war crime. Period.  Full stop. The only innocents in this atrocity are the Ukrainian people.

Winning Regardless of Cost

What do Lia Thompson and Vladimir Putin have in common? No sense of fair play whatsoever. If Thompson would turn out to be the best swimmer in the history of the world there would be no respect coming from me. I can't even address Thompson as she, because to me she is a he. Period. And not an honorable one at that.

In doing a minimal amount of research for this post I've found that there are supposedly 7 genders. Minimum. Wrong.  There are two. DNA will prove this and DNA cannot be altered. The others are wishful thinking. Sort of like trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. It still started out as a sow's ear.

Understand, this post is coming from an elderly woman who grew up in the day when men were men and women were women.  Yes, there were those who thought themselves something other than what they were. It was an issue they would have to deal with, to be sure, but not foist it upon the rest of the world to the point we're expected to bow to it. Accept it, perhaps. Bow to it. No.

Lia Thompson

I am not unsympathetic to the plight of the LGBTQ+++ community. As the cliche goes, I have members of my family who are gay, and yes, trans. The situations have been handled very differently and I daresay the state of mind of each is very different from the other.  

I do know they had no one trying to give rise to the issue from kindergarten to 3rd grade or for several years beyond for that matter. Each lived what would be considered a loving, normal, and happy childhood. 

Back, for a moment, to Thompson. Some of what I read tells me that over time some characteristics might fade. Muscle mass, body hair, etc. I daresay Thompson is not yet to that point and that is why allowing competition with genetically authentic women is just plain wrong. And selfish.

There is a simple solution to the problem of trans athletes.  Let them have competition among themselves. Think of the boon to collegiate sports.  A whole new category of competition from which to raise revenue.  If anyone would watch.

Of course, that would level out the playing field they so want to tilt in their direction. It also would stir up a whole new set of issues, like could trans men compete against trans women? But wait! Isn't the fairness of competition what this whole issue is about in the first place?

What Manner of Men (and women)

 I keep hearing that Biden is leading from behind. It may have come before, but I first heard the phrase during the Obama administration.

It is murky at best.  To me, the phrase is an oxymoron.  To lead means to be out front.  To be behind is just that.  Being behind.

With this administration, it seems even worse. Leadership is an illusion. I have never in my life seen so many in leadership roles, of both parties, deny to the country that which has worked well because they so hate the man who held the presidency when put in place.

This is more than petulant, it is sick. How can all these elected officials march in lockstep?  Surely, there are a number of them, again on both sides, who know how wrong they are and what damage is being done to the country. Why do they not step forward and say, "Enough! This has to stop!" What manner of men and women are they?

This goes far beyond the decisions about Ukraine that are dithering in the netherworld of Washington. It goes to the elimination of the Keystone pipeline in favor of reinstituting the Iranian Nuclear Deal which will give Iran a free hand in their pursuits while we get nothing. Having Russians as mediators, to boot. 

This has to do with pushing the Green New Deal when the technology is nowhere near ready for prime time. 

This has to do with allowing an egomaniacal and corrupt Agency head to dictate policy that has destroyed lives, physical and mental well-being, and economic stability for over two years, and who would still be doing so had not the war in Ukraine taken front and center.

This goes to the open border policy in our own country with everything from drugs to children and sex traffickers, to gang and cartel members, and who knows who else, free entry. And I mean free for we, the taxpaying citizenry, are footing the bill for all of them.

 It's sad. It's disheartening. Whatever happened to the swinging pendulum? If it's still out there, the time is past due for it to start swinging back.  If it's going to get hung up, let it be in the center.

What Price Escalatory?

 

An item on the news last evening made me laugh before sending a chill down my spine. A Russian official has demanded we return Alaska; no matter that it was bought and paid for. Return Alaska?? Really?

It made me think. What if Russia invaded Alaska to destroy our oil reserves, say. And we were having a hard time because we didn't have what was needed to drive them back. We asked Canada for help - munitions, guns, food, sanctuary for Alaskan residents, and maybe even planes no longer in use. Canada drags its feet while Alaska is being decimated because any help they might give could be considered escalatory and would bring upon them the possibility of World War III.

Sound ridiculous? Maybe.

This morning I watched an interview with a very frustrated man asking if writing a check for aid wasn't just as escalatory only on a different scale? His conclusion was that it should be considered such. Is the fact that we're sending Ukraine weaponry not as escalatory as allowing planes to be delivered by other than the U.S.? World War III is most likely not in Putin's game plan because he, too, would be destroyed and his mission of resuscitating the old Soviet Union would be gone forever. He would have failed.  He'd not like that to be his legacy.

So what else could be happening? Why is Biden, the weakest link in NATO, holding up aircraft that Ukrainian pilots are perfectly capable of flying? Why does he toss "escalatory" around with abandon while Ukraine is being destroyed?  Never mind why the other countries are bowing to him.  That's another subject for another day.

I'm going to put on my conspiracy theory hat and suggest this.  We know that the Bidens had deep ties with both Ukraine and Russia when Ukraine was under a Russian puppet government.  We know Biden's brother and son, Hunter, held undue influence and received obscene amounts of money in return for access to Biden while he was Vice President.

My question is this. Just what does Putin have on Biden that we don't know? Is it, heaven forbid, possible Biden wants Ukraine destroyed so that any evidence that might remain in that country is destroyed? Destroyed so that Putin cannot resurrect it to use against Biden?

Oh, my, this has been an exercise in what-ifs. Or could there be a modicum of truth in the suggestion?

Benjamin Hall vs. Greg Gutfeld

 Benjamin Hall lays in a hospital in Ukraine where he was wounded and his cameraman and producer were killed while covering the war.

Gutfeld sits safely in New York City putting together his late-night comedy show - or what he thinks passes for comedy.

Hall had become a fixture on FOX News reporting on the war in Ukraine from Ukraine. How could Gutfeld state that the media is manipulating the news in order to generate a profit?

His point is they are using clips over and over again, making things look worse than they are in order to evoke an emotional response. If you begin watching coverage when you first arise and watch until you retire some 14+/- hours later, yes, you are going to see redundancy in the footage. Getting what they do show is harrowing, and as Ben Hall will tell you, not without danger to life and limb.

Does that repetition diminish the horror that's taking place? Not to me. We're seeing, often in real-time, offices, apartments, hospitals, and schools being leveled. Dead citizens in the streets which are full of bullet-ridden, burned-out cars. Streams of people are flooding pathways, highways, and railroad stations in an effort to get out. Many are women with toddlers in tow.

Hall and his colleagues, from all the news outlets, are there as the warning sirens wail in the background, to keep us informed as to just what is happening. 

Perhaps Mr. Gutfeld would like to take Mr. Hall's place and report on the media excesses in real-time. Let him get a crew together and visit the action. Hopefully, he wouldn't suffer the same fate.  I'd not wish anyone to be injured. I would like to see him rethink his glib observations and ground his sophomoric humor long enough to apologize to Benjamin Hall.

You might get the idea I'm not a fan of Greg Gutfeld. You would be correct. I don't have much time for anyone who designates themselves an arbiter of truth when they've been nowhere near the source of their suppositions.