April
1 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: April 1, 1934
I could tell that we are moving from winter to summer by the amount of dog hair I swept up yesterday. I just thought Patches shed a lot; she does not come close to what Erik does. I gathered up enough hair to make another small dog.
If I get Desperado's windows cleaned today I think all the month end chores will be done. I can then get back to the professor's book that I'm wading through on Fire 8. I have another book that I'm reading online that provides a break from him that I may even finish first.
All the previous Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) nations see which way the geopolitical and geo-economic winds are blowing: the time to assert their real sovereignty is at hand as the “rules-based international order” bites the dust.
Welcome to the birth of the new world system. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in China, after meeting several counterparts from across Eurasia, could not have outlined it better:
“A new reality is being formed: the unipolar world is irrevocably becoming a thing of the past, a multipolar one is taking shape. It's an objective process. It's unstoppable. In this reality, more than one power will “rule” — it will be necessary to negotiate between all the key states that today have a decisive influence on the world economy and politics. At the same time, realizing their special situation, these countries ensure compliance with the basic principles of the UN Charter, including the fundamental one — the sovereign equality of states. No one on this Earth should be seen as a minor player. Everyone is equal and sovereign.” ～ Meet the New, Resource-Based Global Reserve Currency , Pepe Escobar
If “the government,” represented through the decisions of persons who arbitrarily modify the assigned rights of individuals, violates the basic terms on which the social structure operates, there is no requirement that its actions be “honored” with ethical sanctions.
If “the government,” which is conceived as an enforcing agent for individual rights, itself captures powers to change the legal structure, individuals are deprived of rights and their existence becomes equivalent to that described in Hobbesian anarchy. Much of what we observe in the 1970s can pessimistically be described in precisely these terms. ～ The Limits of Liberty by James M. Buchanan
2 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The 10 day forecast is now showing the expected highs to be in the upper 70s and lower 80s with lows in the upper 40s and lower 50s. Perfect Chamber of Commerce weather with some winds. However, the past few days there has been an exodus of snowbirds leaving the Park. Winging their way back to the cold country from which they left for the winter.
I will not do much of anything today or tomorrow. Resting up for busy days next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. A lot of reading and dog walks.
This quote is from a post that is not anything special but is some classic JHK writing. I like it!
Anyway, in case you've forgotten, the Biden family melodrama is actually a sideshow to the main event in the center ring right now: the collapse of Western Civ, starring the USA as a once-promising beacon of liberty and decency, now reduced to the equivalent of a homeless fentanyl freak gibbering about gender Marxism in history's gutter. The scaffold of the economy is collapsing, helped along by “Joe Biden's” foolish bid to disrupt global banking arrangements, boomeranging right back in Western Civ's chops, as the supply lines to every conceivable precious commodity from fertilizer to rare earths — with oil in the middle of all that — get recklessly severed. Isn't it bad enough that we no longer make anything in our country; now we don't even have access to the stuff we might need if we ever actually considered making stuff again? On top of that, no food for you, O nation of whimpering simps, lost in your Tik-Tok raptures of virtual orgasm. March of 2022 sure was a humdinger. And, of course, April always begins with a joke, before the serious fun starts. ～ “Jettison the Animals!”, James Howard Kunstler
The idea that the U.S. is the “essential nation”, as both Albright and former President Barack Obama claimed, has been used to justify the United States' claim to be able to act unilaterally against any nation in the world in order to protect its perceived interests. Of course, other countries have interests too, including the interest to have peace and security — these being the most fundamental rights of any nation as set forth in the United Nations Charter that was established in 1945 after the Second World War. The U.S.' ceaseless aggression has destroyed this right of nations and the UN system itself, and countries like Russia and China are keen on restoring this right. The UN Charter, by its terms, is premised on the notion that all nations are equal under international law. The U.S. has claimed that, somehow, it is more equal than others, and it has acted on this claim to the detriment of millions around the world. The world is now pushing back against this. ～ Daniel Kovalik
Once elected, a politician has considerable freedom for choosing his own preferred position on spending or tax issues. He is constrained by voters indirectly through prospects for reelection, for long-term party support, for generalized public acclaim. But even for the politician who is highly sensitive to these indirect constraints, there remains freedom of choice over substantial ranges of the political spectrum. Within what he treats as his feasible set, the politician will choose that alternative or option which maximizes his own, not his constituents', utility. This opportunity offers one of the primary motivations to politicians. In a meaningful sense, this is “political income,” and it must be reckoned as a part of the total rewards of office. ～ The Limits of Liberty by James M. Buchanan
3 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
There isn't much happening here. The Russian War is still ongoing but it has now become old News and soon to be replaced with something else. The Mainstream Media may awake to the big financial problems that the United States and its vassals are facing. Then again maybe not, if the Biden administration tells them not to.
I have cranberry beans in the Thermal Cooker today and tonight. Tomorrow I will add yellow split peas and cook them together. That will use up the last of the split peas and I will soon order some lentils that will get me through the rest of this year.
Need to go out and dump holding tanks and add water. That and reading will fill the rest of today with a dental appointment, the first thing in town tomorrow.
“What we would not like to see is a rapid acceleration of India's imports from Russia as it relates to energy or any other any other exports that are currently being prohibited by the US,… all countries, especially our allies and partners, not to create mechanisms that prop up the ruble and that attempt to undermine the dollar-based financial system. ” U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Sing talking to reporters on 31 March 2022.
On 1 April 2022 the United States reportedly boosted its import of Russian oil during the week of March 19 to 25 compared to the previous week. The extra imported volume accounted for a 43 percent increase.
Do as we say; the world now operates on a rules based international order and we, the US, make the rules.
[E]ven under the most favorable conditions the operation of democratic process the Threat of Leviathan may generate budgetary excesses. Democracy may become its own Leviathan unless constitutional limits are imposed and enforced. Historically, government has grown at rates that cannot possibly be long sustained. In this sense alone, modern America confronts a crisis of major proportions in the last decades of the twentieth century. In the seven decades from 1900 to 1970, total government spending in real terms increased forty times over, attaining a share of one-third in national product. These basic facts are familiar and available for all to see. The point of emphasis is that this growth has occurred, almost exclusively, within the predictable workings of orderly democratic procedures. ～ The Limits of Liberty by James M. Buchanan
“The sheep spend their whole lives fearing the wolf, only to be eaten by the shepherd. Once you understand this statement the game changes and you start to understand politics.” ～ unattributed meme
I don't understand. A person's gender identity is not restricted to being either a man or a woman. Some people do not identify with any gender, while others identify with multiple genders. However, if an individual wishes to have transgender surgery they only get two options; they must select between a man or a woman. Maybe Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be able to provide clarity after she becomes a Supreme Court Justice.
“…the Davos Great Reset has been shattered by the Russian Reset.” ～ Pepe Escobar
4 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I received a great compliment from a woman bringing her two dogs to the dog park yesterday. I was just leaving with Erik after doing some off leash walking with him.
She said: “I have seen you working with him and you are doing a good job.” Made me feel that what I have been doing has not been a waste of time and that some people recognize the work that it takes to train a dog.
The dental cleaning went well but things went downhill with the rest of my planned morning. I was going to have breakfast at Café Olé after the dentist but they were closed to have some work done. So I went to Fry's and got gas for Desperado. The pump did not shut down this time before I got the tank filled. However, I paid exactly $1/gallon more than I did on 27 February 2022. That is an inflation rate of almost 30% in just over one month.
Then dove toward the park and stopped at Sunny D's for breakfast. They had a crowd and only one waitress. I was not in any hurry which was a good thing because I was there for about an hour to get served and eat.
Both dogs have collapsed now that they are back ‘home’ and don't have to be on watch for me to come back. I think I'll give Erik a pass on his midday walk which gives me one as well. Tomorrow I have another appointment in town so we may do a repeat.
“The Limits of Liberty is concerned mainly with two topics. One is an attempt to construct a new contractarian theory of the state, and the other deals with its legitimate limits. The latter is a matter of great practical importance and is of no small significance from the standpoint of political philosophy.”—Scott Gordon, Journal of Political Economy”
5 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
We did our usual morning walks and then went to my VA appointment. I knew that I was going to be very early for the 9:00 am blood draw but was hoping that they could take me early. The Check In Robot would not even check me in. The counter clerk said that she would check me in today but in the future the blood draws would not take early check ins.
I have always used my left arm for blood draws because I have been told that is my ‘best’ arm for a vein. Today the nurse jabbed what she thought was a good vein and didn't get any blood. So she went to the right arm and found one that she really liked and got all the blood she wanted — got it quickly as well.
I then checked in with my Team 2 nurse for a blood pressure check. I am always high when they take a reading in the office and they wanted to check today while I was there. I was high again which was no surprise. They will probably want to put me on a med but my at rest home readings are well within the guidelines for an old guy. We will see when I go for my 19 April appointment.
Went to Café Olé for breakfast and got their #5 Special with modifications; it is the same as the Vegeta that I have been getting which was also modified but cheaper. Then stopped at my UPS Store and picked up a package that had the Razorback boots from Jim Green Footwear. I am wearing them inside Desperado until our afternoon walk to give them a chance to mold to my feet — maybe.
Good weather as promised with wind which this time of the year is a given here. I'll kick back and read until our afternoon walk. That will be a shorter walk than midday and will tell me what I need to know about the Razorbacks.
It seems scholars have been all over the Mediterranean map — literally — placing the scenes of Ulysses trip back from Troy, with a consensus, of sorts, involving Sicily for a great many episodes. Severin noted, though, that no one had ever taken a period craft and recreated the voyage, thus factoring-in realistic sailing / rowing speeds, navigation styles and abilities, weather patterns, etc. With a smaller crew than the Jason Voyage, and using mostly sail, he did this, ultimately placing the geography of “The Odyssey” much closer to its Greek home.
As is true of the Jason Voyage this book is well worth reading. What it lacks in nautical adventure (there are, at best, minor scrapes here) it more than makes up for in discussion of how Bronze Age captains navigated, the complicated weather of the Aegean, and Greek coastal topography and features. In total, Severin presents an extremely tight argument, not only in favor of his new map but also against other versions, which include Sicily and other ports further afield. Severin shows it is not reasonable for a galley of that period, under command of a competent skipper, to have made it that far, nor do the features, seen from sea-level, fit the story nearly as well as do scenes from Greece. ～ A blogger's review
The Ground We Stand On was published in 1949 and is the first of John dos Passos' books that I have started to read since he became disenchanted with liberalism/communism. He was a darling of the liberal litterati in the 1920s and 30s but became much more conservative starting in the 1940s and the literary elite then somewhat shunned him for the rest of his life. The quote is the first paragraph from the book.
Perhaps he was proof of this quote that is misattributed to Winston Churchhill. “If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're 35, you have no brain.”
Every generation rewrites the past. In easy times history is more or less of an ornamental art, but in times of danger we are driven to the written record by a pressing need to find answers to the riddles of today. We need to know what kind of firm ground other men, belonging to generations before us, have found to stand on. In spite of changing conditions of life they were not very different from ourselves, their thoughts were the grandfathers of our thoughts, they managed to meet situations as difficult as those we have to face, to meet them sometimes lightheartedly, and in some measure to make their hopes prevail. We need to know how they did it. ～ The Ground We Stand On by John Dos Passos
DUH!! “I just watched my dog chase his tail for 5 minutes and thought “WOW, dogs are easily entertained.”
Then I realizedhellip; I just watched my dog chase his tail for 5 minutes.”
6 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
We cut the training class a little short today when Erik laid down. This is his signal that he has had enough and will not respond to any more commands. I got a signal from him yesterday afternoon also as I was trying to teach him to turn left from a walk. He bit me on the knee. I didn't bleed this time but he did break the skin through my bib overall.
He is dead to the world now that we are back in the Park. No midday walk for either of us today; back to the routine tomorrow. There will also be more lessons on turning left using the guidance that the trainer gave me today.
The distiller has been put back to work. That is the only work that's going to get done today.
We must never forget that men don't make up much of their own behavior: they behave within limits laid down by their upbringing and group background. That is why individual men feel so helpless in the face of social changes. Modifications in the structure of any organization of men can't ever really take effect till the next generation. A revolution can keep people from behaving in the old way but it can't make them behave effectively in the new way. ～ The Ground We Stand On by John Dos Passos
But now for people who still worry that Russia “lost” propaganda war in the West, I will reiterate-—Russia didn't “lose” anything because at this stage Russians don't give a rat's ass about what Western public thinks. As long as Russians believe in cause, and they overwhelmingly do, not to mention having a level of contempt towards the West unprecedented in the Russian history, it really doesn't matter. West becomes not that important for Russians anyway. It lost its allure long time ago and now that it revealed itself as a traditional mortal enemy of Russians, there is nothing to discuss with anyone there. By West, of course, I mean old classic Western Europe and the US. ～ Andrei Martyanov
After the Americans seized first the Venezuelan foreign exchange reserves and handed them over to the opposition, then the Afghan foreign exchange reserves, before that the Iranian ones, and now the Russian ones, it became completely clear that the dollar ceased to be the world currency. Following the Americans, the Europeans also committed this stupidity — the euro and the pound ceased to be world currencies. Therefore, the old monetary and financial system is living its last days. After American dollars that no one needs are sent back to America from Asian countries, the collapse of the world monetary and financial system based on dollars and euros is inevitable. Leading countries are switching to national currencies, and the euro and the dollar are ceasing to be foreign exchange reserves. ～ Events Like These Only Happen Once Every Century Sergey Glazyev, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, former adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, interview with BUSINESS Online @ The Saker
7 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
We are back to our usual routine; not doing much. I will be concentrating on getting Erik to heel this week. He did heel some of the time prior to my enrolling him in the training class but I did not keep reinforcing what he had learned. Back to school. Plus, he WILL learn how to turn left; even if I get bit again.
Goldman Sachs has warned the US dollar faces risks that could erode its global dominance, saying it's dealing with some of the same challenges that the British pound faced in the early 1900s.
The move by the US and its allies to freeze Russia's central bank out of much of its foreign currency reserves has raised concerns that countries could start moving away from using the dollar, due to worries about the power the currency grants the US.
Goldman's research note, released Thursday [31 March 2022], is a sign major investors are taking the risks to the dollar seriously. The bank's analysts, including economist Cristina Tessari, said the dollar faces a number of challenges similar to those faced by the British pound before it declined. The pound was once the world's reserve currency, but was supplanted by the dollar in the middle of the 20th century.
Those challenges include the fact that the US has a relatively small share of global trade compared to the dominance of the dollar in global payments. That the country has a deteriorating “net foreign asset position”, with rising foreign debts. And that it faces geopolitical problems, such as Russia's war in Ukraine. ～ Goldman Sachs warns the dollar is at risk of losing its dominance, and could end up a lesser player like the UK pound, Harry Robertson
What does the architecture in the United States, built since the end of WWII, tell you about what kind of life who built it lived? Interesting thought.
The manner of building and decorating buildings in any particular country or at any particular time shows you more directly, than anything else the truths and shams of the society involved. Architecture is the one art that cannot be faked. Inevitably it will tell you what kind of life the people who built it lived, and hoped to live, and whether their claims to such and such a standard of civilization were false or sound. ～ The Ground We Stand On by John Dos Passos
8 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: April 8, 1934
We are now having some of the best Pre-Spring weather that I can remember having these past few years. I say Pre-Spring because this morning I saw just a hint of green leaf from some of the buds on the ‘young’ mesquite. I don't say that Spring has arrived yet because the ‘old’ mesquite have not opened any leaf buds yet. The young are impetuous therefore not reliable signs that Spring has arrived.
Erik has been trying to make amends for that last bite. He wants to be even closer to me these past few days than he was before and he was a Velcro Dog then.
I'm also trying a new approach. I do not give him any verbal commands when I know that he responds to hand signals OR responds to my body language. Then when I do give him a verbal command I am trying to issue it as almost a whisper. This is training me as much as it is training him. So far the results are just as good, or bad, as what we were doing before.
The distilling is finished. I have enough beans and yellow split peas for future ‘linners’. Therefore, the only things that I need to do is walk the dogs and see how much of the two books I'm reading I can read today.
If the sanctions against Russia are not working what do you think should be done? Obviously, the Biden administration thinks MORE sanctions are the answer.
How are those sanctions working out? No fuel for German industry… no fertilizer for Iowa farmers… no nickel and other metals to make machine parts for Europe and America… And suddenly, having kicked Russia out of the international trade payment clearing system (SWIFT), we've provoked them to resort to backing the ruble with gold, meaning that our broke-down Bretton Woods fiat money system becomes the new “barbarous relic” of global finance, leaving the West to pound sand down a rat hole, while the other two-thirds of the world do actual business for commodities that modern life can't do without. ～ Leviathan Floundering, James Howard Kunstler
9 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Wind is in the forecast for today and tomorrow, Stronger gusts tomorrow during my shopping day. Not good News.
At this time, it is likely that almost the sole remaining resistance in Mariupol is the Azov force. That is no longer News however; Bucha is the News. The Azov in Mariupol are contained and most likely will be wiped out by Donetsk forces. The Donetsk have been welcomed as liberators by the people in Mariupol which does not fit the MainStream Media narrative. To paraphrase Mark Twain “Reports of the Russian army defeat has been greatly exaggerated.” They are losing the propaganda war but militarily I think the end is nigh.
This quote has been translated from the web page that is linked. The entire article is worth the time and effort to do a Google translate. This is a Russian's view which you will not read in any West Main Stream Media.
America's position looks hopeless. China is preparing to crush the United States economically, and there is little chance of détente, since the West has been behaving absolutely bestially towards China in recent centuries, and since the West clearly will not begin to think about its behavior until it suffers a full-fledged, devastating defeat. The West cannot inflict critical damage on China, since for this it is necessary to isolate China from Russia, which is technically impossible *mdash; we have a common land border with China. We supply China with food and hydrocarbons, this is quite enough for an economic victory over the United States, no matter what blockades the United States undertakes. There is no way to destroy Russia first, and then China — militarily, Russia is too strong, and the Americans failed to drive a wedge between Russia and China.
Perhaps, if the Americans had not been so aggressive, if they had not moved NATO bases to the east, if they had not tirelessly fomented revolutions and civil wars on the territory of the FSU, their hegemony could have lasted a little longer. However, to live peacefully is not about Americans. The United States went to aggravate the conflict with the East and, it seems, lost. ～ Why the West fails to isolate Russia, Oleg Makarenko
10 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I got into town and got out as the wind was starting to pick up. The weather guessers are good with guessing winds so their expected gusts of 40mph will probably come later today.
Breakfast at Café Olé, a quick stop at Fry's and back in the Park by 9:00. I need to do the holding tank dumps and add water but I think I can put it off until tomorrow morning when the wind is not blowing a gale. Stay in Desperado where we will be rocking and rolling with the gusts.
Every generation rewrites the past. In easy times history is more or less of an ornamental art, but in times of danger we are driven to the written record by a pressing need to find answers to the riddles of today. We need to know what kind of firm ground other men, belonging to generations before us, have found to stand on. In spite of changing conditions of life they were not very different from us. This is a prime example of Dos Passos as an American novelist and reporter on American reality.
Divided up into three major sections: The Use of the Past, Roger Williams and the Planting of the Commonwealth in America, and On the White Porch of the Republic; The Ground We Stand On traces the backgrounds and the rise of America's early political structure, the variety of influences upon it, and the men who gave it a stable foundation. ～ Book promo @ goodreads.com
The senior level Russians have no reason or desire to talk to anyone in Washington. The United States is at war with Russia. What do they want to talk about? Surrender?
“So there are vehicles, we still have military to military communications with the Russians,” Kirby [Pentagon spokesperson] said, “but at the senior levels where we think it's really important, particularly right now, that's not happening and it's not happening because the Russians don't seem to be interested.” ～ Top Russian officials not answering US calls, Pentagon says, Ronn Blitzer
11 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The wind is still with us. It was even blowing through the night which it usually does not. Maybe die down by Wednesday. That will be good since Erik's training class is held outdoors most of the time.
I have hulled barley and oat groats in the Thermal Cooker this morning. Needed to get more cooked or would not have anything for breakfast tomorrow. I also need to get some more red hominy soaking and cooked with more beans as the base for succotash ‘linners’.
The only US media that Google Search brought up was a short story in Insider Inc online News. If Secretary of State Blinken had an interview the News would offer it up as a video plus full text transcript. A very significant statement by the Russian Foreign Minister — Crickets.
“Our special military operation is meant to put an end to the unabashed expansion [of NATO] and the unabashed drive towards full domination by the US and its Western subjects on the world stage… This domination is built on gross violations of international law and under some rules, which they are now hyping so much and which they make up on a case-by-case basis,”, Lavrov [Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov] said in an interview with the broadcaster Rossiya 24.
Having two parties that have the same policies does not avoid the label of ‘single’ party e.g. Democrat and Republican.
The first thing to define totalitarian society, whether of the Right or of the Left, is the single party, and the single party has no reason to destroy itself. This is why the only society capable of evolution and liberalization, the only one that deserves both our critical and our active support is the society that involves a plurality of parties as a part of its structure. It alone allows one to denounce, hence to correct, injustice and crime. ～ Kadar Had His Day Of Fear in Resistance, Rebellion, and Death by Albert Camus
It' Pun Time again.
Did you hear about the cheese factory that exploded in France?
De Brie was everywhere.
12 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
There is still wind but I have put off the holding tank dumps and adding water as long as I can. The added water is the more pressing issue.
I'm going to claim that Spring began here yesterday. The old mesquites along my walking route were showing leaf buds opening. The mesquite trees in the Park had leaves that were open. That means Spring showed up two days later this year than last year. More evidence of global climate change.
This is pure political theater. The relief at the pump will amount to almost nothing. Example: When I do a Desperado fillup it usually takes 40 gallons and I get about 8mpg. Using those numbers and the fact that E15 will reduce my mpg to about 7.84 a fillup using it will save me $0.41. Your mileage may vary.
My guess is that the price of foods using corn, that will be used for ethanol, will increase by much more than the savings at the pump. — cui bono? I would say that is will be the large corporate farmers, the ethanol producers and the politicians seeking reelection.
“The White House plans to roll out new policies Tuesday [today] aimed at curbing gas prices as it braces for a crushing new report that will show inflationary pressures on millions of Americans have intensified this year,” the Washington Post reports.
“President Biden will announce plans for the Environmental Protection Agency to allow a blended form of gasoline that uses ethanol, known as E15, to be sold this summer — a measure long resisted by some energy and environmental groups that could help deliver short-term relief at the pump.” ～ Biden to Announce Plan to Ease Gas Prices, Taegan Goddard
13 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
This morning was almost used up in town. There was Erik's training class then breakfast at Café Olé. That had me arriving at about the 10:00 opening at my UPS Store. However, they have gone back to their 9:00 time to open and are also open on Sunday again. This is great since I will soon be leaving the area and don't care when they are open.
Before leaving town I went to my Executor's office and gave his secretary the contact information for Erik in the event of my death or incapacity. This is a woman that rescues Cattle Dogs and I almost adopted one from her. I'm now glad that I got Erik instead even if he was a mistake — the other heeler would have been a bigger mistake.
Another trip to D & J RV Center tomorrow to have Desperado's roof scraped and sealed. Hopefully that will keep it from leaking this monsoon season. I also need to get a roof coating applied but can not do it now. Maybe get that done by them in October.
In the speech he gave upon accepting the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957, Albert Camus said that a writer “cannot serve today those who make history; he must serve those who are subject to it.” And in these twenty-three political essays, he demonstrates his commitment to history's victims, from the fallen maquis of the French Resistance to the casualties of the Cold War.
14 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The scraping and resealing Desperado's roof took all day. Luckily I was able to stay inside Desperado all day as well except for a couple of walks with Erik. It seems that anytime I have anything done at D & J it always takes all day.
I didn't read any News today or any of by blog list. Maybe get caught up tonight and tomorrow.
I stopped at my UPS Store on the way out of town. This was to pick up a package from the VA pharmacy; the fastest refill that I have had in months.
This is a Yandex translation which I am showing just as I got it; I really like the J.R.R. Tolkien. Biden. Google translated his name as George Biden which is not nearly as funny. This is political theater with the meaningless action by the United States being mocked by Russia and the Zone B part of the world is getting a great laugh.
In response to the next “wave” of anti-Russian sanctions imposed by the Administration of J. R. R. Tolkien.Biden on March 24 this year against 328 deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, which, taking into account the previously blacklisted Russian parliamentarians, makes up almost its entire composition, “mirror” sanctions restrictions are introduced against 398 members of the US House of Representatives.
These individuals, including the leadership and committee chairs of the lower house of the American Congress, are included in the Russian “stop list” on a permanent basis. Along with other current lawmakers, who, like Speaker Pelosi, were previously banned from entering the Russian Federation, all US congressmen were subjected to “listing” on the basis of reciprocity. ～ Statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry on retaliatory personal sanctions against US congressmen
The closing paragraph of an interesting article.
And so, as the Americans play out their two and four year electoral cycles and as they scour the world for fresh Pakistanis and Pacific Islanders to bully, they best realise the world is leaving them and their electoral parlor games behind, and that leaders of the calibre of Imran Khan are bringing into play a new multi polar world order, where Syria, Yemen, Iran, Pakistan and the Solomon Islands will be shown the respect they deserve. Au revoir America. The world's Imran Khans have bowled you and your criminal henchmen all out. America's Whoops Apocalypse Is Just Not Cricket, Declan Hayes
15 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: April 15, 1934
There was a return of Winter on Wednesday and yesterday. It was below or just above freezing both mornings then back to almost 50° for a low this morning. I was NOT dressed for that on Wednesday when we did our walk before the training class. The high is forecast to be 91° on Monday. Just another Spring in Cochise County.
JHK has a good posting about the Musk–Twitter show. This is better entertainment than what is happening in Ukraine. I have the feeling that Musk is playing the big shareholders to drive up the Twitter price and he will exit with a fat profit and leave them holding shares in a failing company. I hope I'm right.
And so, it's refreshing to see one Elon Musk act to seize control of this Satanic vector of disgrace. Mr. Musk appears motivated to defeat the culture of lying by restoring open debate in the ubiquitous online public arena. It's a heroic deed. But, you see, it's not merely Twitter's management or its biggest shareholders that Mr. Musk is messing with, but malign forces in the US government, which have surreptitiously taken control of Twitter and other social media to work its will on events. If you don't know that Twitter, Facebook, and Google are proxies serving the US Intel Community, then you have not been paying attention.…
Mighty forces are marshalling to prevent Elon Musk from buying up Twitter stock and taking the company private.… Meanwhile, the Tesla boss maintains a prankish self-confidence in this exploit, offering cryptically comic gibes to a news media that is openly vested in opposing him. You have to suppose that he's gamed out the gamble. He's looking like someone who has dealt out a hand of cards aiming to shoot-the-moon. ～ You've Been Misinformed, James Howard Kunstler
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — the BRICS nations make up 41% of the global population, 24% of the global GDP, and account for 16% of the world's trade. The BRICS have basically refused to comply with the unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and its vassals. There are other nonBRICS nations that are also refusing to comply in whole or in part especially in South America and Africa; that is to say, most of the world. The sanctions are not hurting Russia as much as planned and are hurting the United States and Europe. Perhaps that was the plan?
16 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
After our walk I went to town with laundry being the first stop. I got there a little after 7:00 and there was a crowd; Saturday is not the best day for me to go there.
Then just around the block to have breakfast at Café Olé where I had my usual waitress. However, it doesn't make any difference, there are now three of the waitresses that know what I'm going to have and bring me my coffee before I sit down.
A short shopping list today at Fry's and they had more than one checker working. That was a good thing because they had a crowd there also. Maybe everyone was stocking up for big Easter dinners.
The first and last paragraphs from a good posting by Caitlin.
There's a very important question that we all need to be asking ourselves at this point in history, and that question is as follows: how much are we as a society willing to sacrifice so that the US government can win a propaganda war against Vladimir Putin?…
How much are we as a society willing to give up for the US government and its allies to win a propaganda war against Putin? Are we willing to commit to being a civilization for which the primary consideration with any piece of data is not whether or not it's true, but whether it helps undermine Russia? ～ How Much Are We Prepared To Sacrifice To Help The US Win A Propaganda War Against Putin?, Caitlin Johnstone
“[A]fter Russia's reserves in dollars, euro, pound, and yen were “frozen,” it is unlikely that any sovereign* country will continue accumulating reserves in these currencies. Their immediate replacement is national currencies and gold.” The quote below is from an interview that covers what that replacement is shaping up to be. A suggested read.
*My Note: EAEU includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.
SCO currently comprises eight Member States (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), four Observer States interested in acceding to full membership (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia) and six “Dialogue Partners” (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey).
ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Currently, the US is fighting to maintain its dominance, but just as Britain previously, which provoked two world wars but was unable to keep its empire and its central position in the world due to the obsolescence of its colonial economic system, it is destined to fail. The British colonial economic system based on slave labor was overtaken by structurally more efficient economic systems of the US and the USSR. Both the US and the USSR were more efficient at managing human capital in vertically integrated systems, which split the world into their zones of influence. A transition to a new world economic order started after the disintegration of the USSR. This transition is now reaching its conclusion with the imminent disintegration of the dollar-based global economic system, which provided the foundation of the United States global dominance.
The new convergent economic system that emerged in the PRC (People's Republic of China) and India is the next inevitable stage of development, combining the benefits of both centralized strategic planning and market economy, and of both state control of the monetary and physical infrastructure and entrepreneurship. The new economic system united various strata of their societies around the goal of increasing common well being in a way that is substantially stronger than the Anglo-Saxon and European alternatives. This is the main reason why Washington will not be able to win the global hybrid war that it started. This is also the main reason why the current dollar-centric global financial system will be superseded by a new one, based on a consensus of the countries who join the new world economic order. ～ Russia's Sergey Glazyev introduces the new global financial system, Sergey Glazyev in an interview for The Cradle, Alexey Subottin translation in an article by Pepe Escobar
17 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Nothing much going on here today. The weather is shaping up to be what the Chamber of Commerce touts as if we get it year around. The morning low was 47° with an expected 85 for the high and so far today the wind has been almost dead calm.
A good day to start reading another novel and maybe some more of the nonfiction that I have been switching to from time to time online.
I'm not sure what is going on with Erik. These past few days he has been selecting a place of rest right in front of Patches' bed and right next to my left foot. That means he is underfoot everytime I get up. Crazy dog!
Foul sorcery had slain the Emperor. Now the army of Videssos, betrayed by one man's craven folly, fled in panic from the savage victors. But there was no panic in the Legion, mysteriously displaced from Gaul and Rome into this strange world of magic.
But in Videssos the city, capital of the beleaguered realm, Ortaias Sphrantzes, whose cowardice had caused their defeat, now sat upon the throne. There, behind great walls that had always made the city impregnable to storm or siege, he ruled with the support of evil sorcery. Overthrowing him seemed impossible.
Grimly, Marcus Scaurus began the long march through hostile country toward that seemingly hopeless attempt. ～ Book promo @ goodreads.com
It is not just Canada but Australia and New Zealand are also showing what our future will be. Why do you think the Leftists that claim they will leave the United States if Trump becomes president again want to go to Canada or New Zealand?
The most unsettling thing about the situation in Canada as far as we Americans are concerned is that their present is very likely our future. As things stand now in Washington, we are on a solid trajectory to be where they are within a matter of years—if not months. The mass uprising that shook the West a few weeks ago probably sped up Canada's timetable. But the unmistakable message here is that the Elites don't intend to back down from their agenda, and Trudeau has shown us the lengths to which they will go to sustain it. We still don't know how many people were actually killed during the protests, but there were casualties. Imagine witnessing a massacre like the one in Ottawa and not even seeing it on the news: that's a taste of what life under totalitarianism really looks like. It should be a wake-up call to anyone who still cares about their liberty. ～ , The Night Wind
I am a good example of this meme. Although I'm not too sure of the wisdom part.
To reach old age with wisdom…
One had to be young and stupid with a lot of luck.
18 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Just more of the same going on here. You could also say the same about what is happening in world News. I think the media has got about all they can out of the Russian War. There needs to be some more atrocities, or better yet NATO led by the United States rides in to the rescue of Ukraine. American body bags arriving at the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at Dover Air Force base near Greenville, Delaware, home of president Biden, would make for great News.
Not newsworthy but I have the distiller working again. Tomorrow I go to the VA for my annual visit. This might be the first time that I will have a face-to-face sit down during the last three years; the 2020 and 2021 appointments were changed to telemedicine appointments which I don't do.
Some quotes by President Putin from a briefing on the economic situation today. His statement comes after Russia now has more restrictions against it than Iran, Syria, North Korea, Venezuela and Myanmar combined. I'm willing to bet there will be demands that more sanctions need to be imposed. Most likely there will be secondary restrictions against countries that continue to do business with Russia which in my opinion will create a blowback against the United States. We do live in interesting times!
The calculation was to quickly undermine the financial and economic situation in our country, to provoke panic in the markets, the collapse of the banking system, and a large-scale shortage of goods in stores,…
We can say with confidence that this policy against Russia has failed — that the strategy of the economic blitzkrieg has failed.…
Moreover, the sanctions were not without consequences for the initiators themselves. I am referring to the growth of inflation and unemployment, the deterioration of economic performance in the US and the countries of Europe, the decline in the standard of living of the Europeans and the devaluation of their savings,…
The restrictions placed on Russia by unfriendly countries have undoubtedly affected the possibilities of our businesses. They have complicated the logistics of delivery in export and import, created obstacles for payment. It is necessary to assist entrepreneurs in solving these problems, including by speeding up the transition of foreign trade to settlements in rubles and the national currencies of countries which are reliable trade partners,
19 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I have my face-to-face VA appointment this morning at 10:30. That is the middle of the day for me and disrupts my whole day. I found my lab results posted in my online VA account and everything looks pretty good. The total cholesterol is high by 4 points and the LDL by 9 points but that is within the margin of testing error so I'm happy. I hope my ‘doctor’ is also. The HDL number was within the broad range of being acceptable but was 4 points short of where I would like to see it.
That is all I have on the schedule for today. Tomorrow will be another trip to town for Erik's training class then in the afternoon I need to take Patches to the vet for her annual vaxx shots. Luckily none of them involve any mRNA; they are just the simple old fashioned vaccines that prevent a disease.
This story is a sequel to Their Island Home, which takes up the adventures of the Swiss Family Robinson at the place where the author of the original narrative dropped them.
The Swiss Family Robinson seems to have affected Jules Verne's literary bent as no other book ever did. It gave him that liking for the lonely island life as the basis of a yarn which is conspicuous in much of his work. In a preface to the story of which this is really a part he tells how firmly New Switzerland established itself in the fabric of his thoughts, till it became for him a real island inhabited by real people. At last he was compelled to write about it, and Their Island Home and The Castaways of the Flag are the result.
The youth of Europe — many generations of it — owes a big debt to the old romancer who worked for so many years in his turret room at Amiens to entertain it. From that room, with its many bookshelves, came volume after volume of adventure, mostly with a big ad-mixture of the scientific. Verne was not one of those who pile hairbreadth escapes one upon another till they become incredible. There are plenty of things happening in his books, but they are the sort of things that would happen, given the circumstances, and he explains why and how they chanced in the most convincing manner possible. In these days of submarines and aeroplanes it is interesting to read again the wonderful Frenchman's forecast of them in such books as Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Clipper of the Clouds. Round the World in Eighty Days — the task would be an easy one now, but at the time when he wrote it required great ingenuity to make it seem possible; and the end of that book is one of the most ingenious things in fiction, though it has for justification a simple geographical fact.
With the restoration of Fritz Zermatt and his wife Jenny, his brother Frank and the other Castaways of the Flag to their anxious and sorely tried relatives in New Switzerland, the story of The Swiss Family Robinson is brought to its proper end. Thereafter, the interest of their domestic life is merged in that of the growth of a young colony. Romance is merged in history and the romancer's work is finished. Jules Verne has here set the coping stone on the structure begun by Rudolph Wyss, and in The Swiss Family Robinson, Their Island Home and The Castaways of the Flag we have, not a story and two sequels, but a complete trilogy which judges who survey it must pronounce very good. ～ Edited book promo @ goodreads.com
This quote is from a posting dated 6 April 2022. The UK Defense source was wrong and I think General Milley will also prove to be wrong; although he would like to see the war last many years. Until the last Ukrainian!
Remember when UK Defense sources were predicting Russia would be finished in 14 days? This was back on March 23:Russian forces may only be able to sustain full fighting capacity for another ‘ten to 14’ days, senior UK defence sources indicated last night, after which Putin's men will struggle to hold the ground they have already captured from Ukrainian troops.Looks like General Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not get the memo. He told the House of Representatives a different story this week:
UK defence sources say that Kyiv has Moscow ‘on the run’ and the Russian army could be just two weeks from ‘culmination point’ — after which ‘the strength of Ukraine's resistance should become greater than Russia's attacking force.’ Advances across Ukraine have already stopped as Moscow's manpower runs short.“It's a bit early, still. Even though we're a month-plus into the war, there is much of the ground war left in Ukraine,” he added. “But I do think this is a very protracted conflict, and I think it's at least measured in years. I don't know about a decade, but at least years for sure.”:In other words, no one knows how long. I admit I was not a good prophet. I was overly optimistic at the outset. I assumed that Russia launched its “special operation” with more troops than it actually did. So, I have been wrong too. Took me a bit to see that Russia's plan was not to proceed conventionally by occupying cities. I finally listened to Putin's words and accepted his view that the objective is the demilitarization of Ukraine and the elimination of the Nazi minority that wields too much power over a weak government.
Which brings me to my dog analogy. If you are told there is a ferocious dog in a house and you do not hear any barking, even after you bang on the door, you are faced with a number of possibilities:
● There is no dog.
● The dog is a sound sleeper.
● The dog is not home but will be back soon.
Those in the West are being fed a daily supply of breathless reports about the fierce Ukrainian dog that is savaging the Russians but I do not hear or see any evidence of the big bark. Is there no dog? Are the Ukrainians sleeping? ～ The Dog That Ain't Barking in Ukraine, Larry C. Johnson
This is from his posting dated 16 April 2022. As I said yesterday, the Russian War News has reached its use by date and something needs to replace it.
I try to monitor Western media as one measure of how Russia's war with the West is progressing. It is again a case of the dog that did not bark. The breathless, wall-to-wall reports that dominated cable news during the first two weeks of Russia's “Special Military Operation” are gone. Instead, the media is only giving spot updates wrapped in continued hysteria about the bad and evil the Russians. But it is not producing popular support in America for getting involved in another foreign war. ～ Russia Continues to Grind Down the Ukrainian military and Fuel resources, Larry C. Johnson
20 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I think it is now time for me to get an appointment scheduling secretary. My busy schedule and all caused me to make an appointment for Desperado's Wash n Wax on the same morning as Erik's training class. He can go on Saturday and I may change my shopping day just to keep from disconnecting from electricity two days in a row. But don't see how I can avoid that either. As I say, I think I need an appointment scheduling secretary. HA
I will still need to disconnect this afternoon and go to the vet to get Patches vaxxed. Speaking of vaxx, my VA health providers did not ask me if I was vaxxed. That surprised me. I volunteered my vaxx status to my ‘doctor’ and she said that she believed that was a choice for each individual she would not push getting ‘the jab’. I was left with the impression that this was her position and not VA policy and the entire Team followed her lead. She thought my health was very good for an old geezer and I should keep on doing what I have been doing!
Judging by the latest eye-witnesses accounts from Donetsk, today, [18 April 2022] Russian Armed Forces, evidently because they ran out of ammo and are low on morale, unleashed hell. Some people say that even veterans of the last 8 years and those who fought in Syria never saw anything like this. We'll see once first real verified reports start trickling in shortly. ～ Scott and Larry Make Their (Professional) Points, Andrei Martyanov
If the United States can not keep Ukraine supplied with ammunition during the limited Russian War, how in the hell does anyone think that the United States is prepared to fight a two front war with Russia and China? This article also leads one to believe that the war between Russia and Ukraine was planned, but planned poorly. The author and Bloomberg probably were not to say that.
But President Joe Biden never planned for a war like this. The assumption was that Russia would quickly conquer much of the country, so the U.S. would be supporting a simmering, low-intensity Ukrainian insurgency. Instead, Ukraine's successful resistance has led to an ongoing, high-intensity conventional fight, with prodigious consumption of munitions and intense attrition of key military assets. ～ Ukraine War Is Depleting America's Arsenal of Democracy, Hal Brands
“Pitch-forks times in the combined West, especially Europe, are coming—I omit here issues of food altogether—but the process of economic and cultural suicide at this stage is very robust and probably is not reversible in Europe by merely peaceful means.” ～ Andrei Martyanov
21 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I was discombobulated during our afternoon visit to A. R. K. Veterinary Services yesterday. There was a crowd of people inside and outside all with animals and everyone talking which to me is just noise.
Patches finally got in and received her vaxxes, got her heartworm meds for another year and paid the bill. Then had to find the owner of a car that had Desperado blocked from getting out.
Patches took a nap as soon as we got back to the Park. It was now our usual afternoon walking time but I decided we had enough excitement and gave us all the rest of the afternoon off.
This morning I went to town to shop a day early from my usual schedule. Stopped at Sunny D's for breakfast then a grocery gathering in Fry's with only a few other shoppers.
That had me arriving at my UPS Store a few minutes before they opened. When they did I picked up my coffee order from Old Bisbee Roasters and my VA prescriptions that were only ordered on Tuesday by my VA Clinic ‘doctor’. She really lit a fire under the Tucson Pharmacy.
When we got back to the Park the first thing I did was dump holding tanks and added water. The distilling is finished. I just need to clean the distiller one more time. Tomorrow will be a rest day.
I do not have a telephone and do not intend on getting one. The reason for that is my hearing is poor and I do not function well on a telephone. Paul Craig Roberts has a posting about telephones that is right on but is far worse for those that have a hearing problem.
I remember when the telephone was a useful and appreciated device. The digital revolution, one of humanity's most unfortunate developments, has turned the telephone into a nuisance and a threat. ～ The Telephone, Paul Craig Roberts
I quote only one paragraph from a good article.
If the dollar was about to collapse due to inflation, oil would be one of the first early warning indicators. With the establishment blocking new oil production and hindering the most cost effective method for oil transport (pipelines), an engineered decline in supply becomes a very effective smokescreen for the death of the dollar. The crisis caused by the government and the Federal Reserve's currency destruction could then be blamed on supply chain issues and climate “peril.” This is the reason why the establishment will not allow any future growth in US oil production. They cannot allow the public to realize the precarious position our currency is in. ～ Basic Solutions To Our Economic Problems That Establishment Elites Won't Allow, Brandon Smith
A Meme that is probably not true but does make a point.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
Not fair to make judgment of this, until you see what the Fire Chief says!!!!
In South Los Angeles, a 4-plex home was destroyed by a fire.
A Mexican family of six, all welfare recipients and gang members, lived on the first floor. They died.
An Islamic group of seven welfare cheats, all illegally in the country from Kenya, lived on the second floor. They, too, all perished.
Six LA, Hispanic, gang bangers & ex-cons lived on the 3rd floor.They, too, died.
A white couple lived on the top floor. The couple survived the fire.
Jesse Jackson, John Burris and Al Sharpton were furious! They flew into LA and met with the fire chief. On camera, they loudly demanded to know why blacks, Muslims and Hispanics all died in the fire and why only the white couple lived?
The Fire Chief said, “They were at work.”
Think about this for just a moment; it certainly left me puzzled.
Emmanuel Macron, President of France. is 41 years old, his first step-son is 44 years old, the second is 42 years old and his wife is 66 years old. That means he is the youngest in his own family of which he is the father.
22 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: April 22, 1934
Every thing here is just about the same. The daily high temperatures have gone up into the 80s as forecast — with winds. That made me reduce the midday walk by about a half mile. Not so much for Erik, he was doing fine, but for me. We will go to his training class tomorrow since we missed the Wednesday class.
I have cranberry beans soaking today and will cook them in the Thermal Cooker tomorrow. The plan for today is to see if I can finish the novel that I have been reading on Fire 8. I have not been switching back and forth to the nonfiction book online so have been making good progress.
Not much News today; the MainStream Media needs to find a different news cycle. All the old ones have reached their use by date. They have even backed off from their constant reports about how the Russians are losing the Russian War in Ukraine.
23 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The training class for Erik doesn't start until 9:00 on Saturday which gives me time for breakfast. I went to Café Olé for that and still arrived for the class about 30 minutes early.
Erik did reasonably well but his Heel needs a lot of work. He does return to my left foot but his Sit is sloppy and at an angle. That will be something for us to improve upon in the 5 months that we will be away from the classes.
Nate Starbuck, a renegade Bostonian who has become a Confederate officer, serves under Stonewall Jackson in that desperate summer. He distinguishes himself at the Battle of Cedar Mountain, but afterward his career is jeopardized through the suspicion and hostility of his brigade commander, the grandiose General Washington Faulconer. This hostility is scarcely diluted by the dubious friendship of Colonel Swynyard, a reformed drunk whose Christian faith seems a frail weapon with which to oppose his many temptations.
24 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
This past week Erik allowed me to check his front paw for a goat head while we were on a walk. This was a first, aways before he would jerk away and/or try to bite me.
I thought that was some sort of a breakthrough with him. WRONG! Last night I patted his bed in front of him and said ‘down’ for him to lay down. I have done this before. Last night he bit me.
I have not determined what triggers him but certainly have not overcome his fears. When he bites me they have not been aggressive bites but have been defensive acts. I think quick hand motions are probably what he is defending against.
I'm going to do my best to NOT give him anymore hand signals. Very few verbal commands and let him figure out what he should do based on my body language — he is a smart dog. HA I have just about had enough; I won't get rid of him but will also not work as hard as I have been to train him.
“An ordinary man would not be free. Because he wouldn't know how to occupy his leisure except in some way that would be forced on 'im by other people. People don't know 'ow to entertain themselves now; they leave it to other people to do it for them. They swallow what's given them. They 'ave to swallow it, whether they like it or not. Cinemas, newspapers, magazines, gramophones, football matches, wireless telephones—take them or leave them, if you want to amuse youself. The ordinary man can't leave them. He takes; and what's that but slavery?” ～ Mr. Bojanus speaking to Mr. Gumbril in Antic Hay by Aldous Huxley
25 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The accomplishment for today was installing Brave as a browser on the Toshiba with Linux. This replaces Firefox which I had on there as a default. I wanted to install Vivaldi but was not able to get it to install. I think the Ubuntu OS that I have running has been corrupted and I don't want to try to replace it. So far I like Brave.
I might finish reading the latest novel that I have on Fire 8. Again reading it without switching to the nonfiction that I have started online. That online book is a difficult read but I'll finish it eventually.
Not much in the way of new News. I got the Will Rogers weekly articles prepared for another month yesterday. Have 3x5 cards prepared with my planned route to the next camp which will take two days this time. Need to get started on month end chores.
26 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
There is nothing on my agenda for today except start the monthly chores — maybe. There is another training class for Erik tomorrow which I really do not want to go to. He may be getting something from the classes but it is not obvious. Me, the only thing that I'm getting from them is frustration and depression.
This quote is from a very good history to date of the Russian War in Ukraine. I added the underline. The United States has made this a proxy war for Ukraine to fight until the last Ukrainian.
Something else the Russians realized: Sanctions. They hurt but Russia bounced back with remarkable speed. They didn't really hurt that bad. But the theft of Russia's $300 billion in foreign reserves by the West DID hurt — badly. The Russians realized they were in a total war with the West and since their foreign reserves were lost forever (likely to be pilfered by corrupt Western politicos), the Russians now have nothing left to lose. By stealing their reserves, the West lost all power over Russia.
This has sealed Ukraine's fate: The Russians now have no incentive to give up what they have conquered. It has cost them too much in terms of men and treasure. And they know that they can't negotiate a ceasefire. The Zelensky regime will simply break it later. ～ A Recap Of The War In Ukraine, Gonzalo Lira @ Moon of Alabama
27 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
We didn't do any dog class training. I was thinking that I wouldn't even go to town since I didn't want to do any of the training. Then Patches was vomiting and I decided that I would go to the training class and tell them that Erik was not going to participate. If Patches seemed to be getting worse I would then take her to a vet. She seemed to be over whatever was causing the distress. She ate a reduced breakfast with a good appetite and has kept it down.
I got the bathroom cleaned up and the floors washed yesterday. Maybe get to the cab windows and dash later today or tomorrow. Then the only things that will remain will be set up next month's web pages. Perhaps my mood will improve after I get on the road again.
Antic Hay is one of Aldous Huxley's earlier novels, and like them is primarily a novel of ideas involving conversations that disclose viewpoints rather than establish characters; its polemical theme unfolds against the backdrop of London's post-war nihilistic Bohemia.
I think this Customer Review is closer to the mark. I don't recommend the book.
“Unlike Crome Yellow, Huxley's second novel lacks pith, purpose, and wit. There are amusing and curious scenes (the ongoing life of Gumbril's pneumatic trousers), then there are endless esoteric conversations sprinkled with Latin and archaic topical references that render some passages inscrutable.”
Western actions will only have a minimal impact on the combat operations. As for the public opinion in Russia, the West has done a truly SUPERB job uniting the Russian people around Putin and the Russian armed forces. All the now openly racist comments made by western politicians have finally opened the eyes of a solid majority of Russians who now understand why, how and what Russia is doing and NOBODY wants to stop. Okay, that is not totally true, most of the Russian 5th columnists and Atlantic Integrationists still want to stop Russia from being sovereign, but they are totally “outshouted” by the 80% or so who “get it” and who care about Russia, not billionaire's yacht and offshore accounts. Each time the western authorities steal (no, not “confiscate” or “sanction” or “freeze” — but *steal*) Russian assets in the West, most Russians reply with a roaring standing ovation and request for “ more! more! more! get these bastards where it hurts them!”. ～ Short message from the Saker, Andrei
28 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
This morning was my last planned trip into Sierra Vista until October or November. Stopped at Sunny D's for breakfast and said goodbye until sometime in the Fall.
Then a quick grocery gathering at Fry's where there was a very light crowd. That had me arriving at my UPS Store a few minutes before they opened and there was no crowd their either. I was wondering if today was another Holiday that I was missing.
I still need to get Desperado's windows and dash cleaned but have a couple of days remaining in the month. HA I might get to that today but probably not.
I have confirmed my arrival at the new camp and received a reply — surprised me, may be a sign that I have selected a good camp. I have also received a confirmed reservation for next year here at this Park. Got the last open space for the period that I wanted. This Park is filling up during the winter months with Snowbirds trying to get away from the cold. I keep looking for someplace to go to get away from the cold here during the winter.
This essay is a companion to my own Globalistan, published in early 2007, which I defined as a warped geopolitical travel book. I argued then that in a context of re-medievalization — the world fragmented into “stans” — we are now living an intestinal war, an undeclared global civil war. Borrowing from Zygmunt Bauman's concept of liquid modernity, I called it Liquid War — and not only because of the global scramble for “black gold” oil and “blue gold” gas. Globalistan was essentially a long reportage crisscrossing the world. This text reflects the fact that I spent most of 2008 in the U.S. following the presidential campaign. As far as New Rome is concerned I'm usually outside looking in — the point of view of my dying profession, the foreign correspondent. In this text I'm most of the time inside looking out. Globalistan can be read as an on the ground — and underground — report on the Bush administration wasteland. This text could be something of a last chapter — out of the belly of the beast.
CHS has much the same outlook as James Howard Kunstler and John Michael Greer. I agree with all three of them.
The unraveling will be different but it doesn't have to be “bad.” Black gunships won't have to blast the zombie hoards. The more likely path will be things simply fray and stop working reliably. Things that were always abundant may become sporadically scarce, or perhaps permanently scarce. Overly complex and wasteful systems will decomplexify, either via a controlled process or an uncontrolled collapse. Frugality will be incentivized, waste will be disincentivized. Phantom “wealth” will dissipate. Real wealth will be reassessed.
Capital, resources and labor will all be revalued. When stuff breaks down, there may not be enough capital, resources and skilled labor to restore it to the good old days of endless abundance. What's valued now may well be revealed as worthless. What's mocked and ridiculed may turn out to be more valuable than what's currently praised and admired. ～ Doom Porn and Empty Optimism, Charles Hugh Smith
A meme that is so true.
Since Musk bought Twitter, the people claiming that men can get pregnant are now worried about misinformation on it.
29 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: April 29, 1934
I was cold during our walk this morning. For the past three days the low has been in the mid 50s, this morning it was 45.7°. I guess I best adapt to those lower temperatures again because that is what I'll be getting at my new camp.
FedEx brought me my Chewy order which included more Earthborn dog food plus a 1.5' leash and a FURminator grooming brush. The leash is good but I have not worked up enough courage to give the brush a try. Maybe next week after I get settled in my new camp.
The author of this book that I'm quoting also wrote The Final Fall in 1979 predicting the collapse of the USSR. This book was published in 2002 so it has been 20 years now with the US still hanging on but the Empire is on the skids that is for sure. I think the author has great prescience from what I have read just in the Introduction. Note: I added the underlines.
In what follows I am going to develop an explanatory model whose form is somewhat paradoxical but whose principal parts can be summarized quite easily: at the very moment when the world is discovering democracy and learning to get along politically without the United States, the United States is beginning to lose its democratic characteristics and is discovering that it cannot get along without the rest of the world.
The planet is therefore faced with a double reversal: first, the new economic dependence of the United States vis-à-vis the rest of the world and second, the new distribution of democratic energy around the world, henceforth positive in Eurasia and negative in America. Once these large-scale sociohistorical processes have been posited, one can understand the apparent strangeness of recent American actions. Since a free and democratic order is slowly being sapped of its substance within the United States, the country's goal can hardly be to defend such an order abroad. What has become of prime importance is supplying the country with various commodities and capital. From now on the fundamental strategic objective of the United States will be political control of the world's resources.…
But America has to find a solution, real or fanciful, for its worrisome economic dependence. The country has to remain at least symbolically at the center of the world, and to do so it will have to parade its super power, or rather its “supersuperpower.” We are thus witnessing the development of a global theater of dramatized militarism that consists of three essential principles.
First, never resolve a problem once and for all, so as to justify endless rounds of military action throughout the world by the one and only superpower.
Second, concentrate one's energy on minor league powers such as Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, etc. The only way to remain at the heart of world affairs is to challenge small-time actors in such a way that will reflect well on American might and thereby avoid or at least delay the moment when the other major powers wake up to their role as global partners with the United States, those powers being Europe, Japan, and Russia in the near-term, and eventually China.
Third, develop new arms systems that can be advertised as putting the United States far ahead of the field in an arms race that must never end.
Such a strategy certainly makes the United States a new and unexpected obstacle to world peace, but it is not one of truly threatening proportions. The list and the size of those named as adversaries gives an objective indication of America's power, since it is incapable of challenging any country more powerful than Iraq, Iran, North Korea, or Cuba. There is no reason to denounce or become hysterical about the emergence of an American empire that in reality, and only one decade after the breakup of the Soviet Union, is going through its own disintegration. ～ Introduction ro After The Empire by Emmanuel Todd
“At what point does it occur to the foreign policy community that a country rife with critical race theory, identity politics, cancel culture, and wokeism that cultivates self-hate and endless apologies is destined for the trash bin of history, not for hegemony?” — Paul Craig Roberts
I think the answer to his question is when the foreign community changes. I don't see that happening anytime soon.
I seldom give up on books but have done so with Public Principles Of Public Debt by James M Buchanan. He is simply too academic for me and I was not understanding much of what he wrote. He has been dropped from my reading list!
30 April 2022
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
This is my last day here until next year unless something happens that changes my plans as occurred this last summer. I'm ready to go. I'll be a couple of days on the road burning some expensive gas. Next posting to be up when I get time to do it.
I think this prediction by Todd in 2002 has now arrived. Russia has played the part of protector in Syria and is now protecting the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic. There was a time when this would have been America's role.
If the relationship of America to the rest the world is turning upside down as the former changes from protector into potential aggressor, the relationship of Russia to the rest of the world must also turn upside down, going from aggressor to potential protector. Ultimately, the only stable element, according to this model, would be the antagonistic character of Russian-American relations. ～ After The Empire by Emmanuel Todd
My buying boycott of Amazon is having its effect — I Did That. “E-commerce giant Amazon has suffered a significant drop in share value following a recently reported loss in the first quarter of 2022 of $3.8 billion. As of Friday afternoon, Amazon shares are down more than 15 percent in intraday trading.”
[M]any Russians are now entirely convinced that nuclear war is coming,…the following is a recent exchange between two Russian television personalities that is making headlines all over the globe:‘Everything will end with a nuclear strike is more probable than the other outcome’, she continued. ‘This is to my horror, on one hand, but on the other hand, with the understanding that it is what it is.’～ Is The U.S. Going To Transition From Stagflation Directly Into A Full-Blown Economic Depression?, Michael Snyder
It was at that point Solovyov chimed in, ‘But we will go to heaven, while they will simply croak.’
‘We're all going to die someday,’ Simonyan agreed.
On 24 February 2022 (the Ukraine invasion date) the Russian ruble to US dollar exchange was 81.4144. As of 28 April 2022 it was trading at 71.0000. This wasn't supposed to happen. All the State Department and Congress-geniuses were drooling about “crippling” sanctions that would “cripple”, “hobble”, and “destroy” Russia's economy. All the “smart people” said Putin is nuts, gas for rubles won't fly. Europe buckled.