Nice and sunny. We have to go out for an appointment with Mom's audiologist. We almost forgot about it but, thankfully, the office called to remind us. We aren't quite into April mentally and it felt like we were still in last week. Well, back on track. I got a couple more pots cleaned out. Thinking about l want to put in this year. We are going to make a stop at the Ace Hardware store for some things Mom wants so I will also look for the flexible, collapsable hose and the garden blocks I want.
We decided to let the cats interact. We have kept them separate since that damned cat someone else lets roam tried to attack them through the screen on the open window. They went apeshit and tried to attack that cat and then continued with each other. So far things have been better than we thought it would be. Mainly a bit of growling and hissing. Only one attack as they both wanted to occupy my lap. The fight didn't last long. I hope they will finally get to tolerate each other.
I found this article on CNN this morning. I have always been heavy and advised to lose weight. I finally gave up on the dieting and I have never really liked exercise. It always took time out of my day for little real value. So now the medical people are questioning weight loss in older people. Even moderate weight loss in otherwise healthy older people is associated with increased mortality. I think they need to expand the study.
I remember Tupperware fondly. I never sold it but I did use it--a lot. Over the years my collection of Tupperware dwindled and it was easier to buy various storage containers in the store put out by the makers of the baggies. I imagine most people my age followed a similar pattern and those millennial and younger generations don't even remember it. Well, on consideration, it isn't surprising that the company is now in trouble.
Responsible Statecraft has a good summary about how little economic sanctions have done to accomplish the aims our government has said they want.
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Hoping to get out an get some gardening work today. I should get the shed cleaned out and rearranged. We picked up the blocks I need to get the shepherds hooks secured in the bucket pots. I will have to empty the buckets to get that done but now is a good time to do it. We should still have a few more warm and dry days. The local garden shops are busily putting out their plant stocks. I am trying to hold off and not yield to temptation. Our average last frost date is May 15 unless that has changed over the last warmest two decades in history. That last thought sent me to Google and the new last frost date for my area is April 28. Yep--things have changed. But this is still a time of year that can break a gardener's heart with a late freeze.
I wonder if anyone is surprised that the leaked defense department documents indicates Egypt is (was?) thinking about selling weapons to Russia. Most of the developing world either supports Russia or isn't on either side. They all view U.S. policy with a very skeptical eye for very good reasons. Not very many remember that Egyptian policies under Nasser in the 1960 involved playing off the U.S. and the Soviet Union to get what he wanted. I doubt many even know who Nasser was. I really hope no one is surprised that our government surveils our allies as well as opponents (and everyone else).
We keep hearing that the sanctions on Russia are working and that their economy is quickly becoming a basket case. James Galbraith takes a different view and takes a contrary position about the interpretation of the facts, not the facts. Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism offers a different view occasionally using her contacts in Russia. As she notes, those sources tell her that they are short of only a few items like car parts or expensive import goods that are the first items cut when the budget is tight. I noted above that not all countries are on board with the sanctions and some are actively circumventing it. The sanctions have always been porous. I have always thought that the sanctions was, from the earliest days, and exercise in whose economy would be bankrupted first and that is still an open question.
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