September 23

 Welcome to the Autumnal Equinox. Cool and sunny this morning. The last weather forecast predicted a wave of possible thunderstorms will come through later today through tomorrow. I won't mind the rain, if it comes, because I look out on the patio and see a couple of plants that will need water soon. We have some housekeeping on the agenda today. Yesterday I started working on the mess the linen closet has become. I got most of it done before my energy ran out. The problem is simple accumulation. I have embroidered projects from the last fifty years. And I don't intend to stop any time soon. So I began sorting and put a lot of the linens into storage boxes and kept for regular use a fixed number of sheets, pillowcases, table cloths/dresser scarves, towels, wash cloths etc. After that I want to start on cleaning up/out and reorganizing the "What-Not Room." It, as our term calls it, is one of few catch-alls left.

Another of the stray thoughts about stories I have read: how much blame should attach to the U.S. and the E.U. if Ukraine loses agains Russia or the conflict settles into a long term bloodletting? I was amazed when the so-called allies insisted that weapons provided Ukraine not be able to strike inside Russia or that Ukraine wouldn't use longer range to strike sites inside Russia even if those sites were staging men and equipment for operations inside Ukraine. I was also amazed that Ukraine actually abided by those restrictions for as long as they did. Essentially we forced Ukraine into a gun fight with a (almost) unloaded gun. Our leaders, U.S. and European, showed a gross amount of cowardice. They wanted to give just enough to stymie Russia but not escalate Russia's responses. Russia has simply escalated anyway and threaten to use tactical nuclear weapons if pushed. It seems to me that the so-called allies are more afraid of Russia than of Ukraine collapsing.

Caitlin Johnstone has posted an article with a title that should give us all concern: We're being prepared for the Ukraine War to last into the 2030s. I look at the economic conditions and wonder how long Russia and Europe/U.S. can fund this war. Russia has been trying to recruit soldiers from outside Russia and get arms from sympathetic nations like Iran and North Korea. I don't often agree with Johnstone but she always gets me thinking.

Doomberg has a post the last half of which is behind a pay wall. However, I know where the author is going. The subtitle says it all: NO, we won't be making jet fuel from CO2. Synthesizing gasoline, jet fuel or other concentrated energy substances derived from oil from lower energy components requires more energy than simply refining the oil. That is generally the problem for all of the touted high tech answers to our energy/environmental problems. Wind power requires, in our current scheme of things, a lot of energy and rare materials to produce a much lesser amount of electrical energy. And the people who tout the windmills as non polluting don't, generally, take into account the pollution involved in the creation of the windmills and in the process of dismantling the components. The hype over electronic vehicles doesn't take into account where the electric energy comes from or what happens to the batteries when their useful life is over. Yes, they don't burn gas and therefore don't release CO2 and other pollutants directly. However, they get the electricity from power plants that do.

Another stray thought: for decades the West (especially the U.S., the IMF, and the World Bank) have gotten used to telling developing countries that they had to be progressive and adopt Western ways and values. Over the last few years that has been changing. China has repeatedly told us to back off and not "interfere" with their internal issues. Türkiye has held up Sweden's entry into Nato over Sweden refusing to extradite people Türkiye claims are "terrorists" and refusing to crack down on idiots who equate burning or defacing a Koran as protest. India and Canada are at loggerheads because the Canadian Government has charged the Indian government with supporting the murder of a Canadian Sikh who supports activists in India demanding an autonomous Sikh province. I could go on but point is: what goes around comes around.

Found this item on the MSN site and followed up with this CNN account. Evidently the recent rains on the upper Mississippi have done little to help the situation.