SPEAK How might God be calling you today to be courageous in speaking the truth when you recognize injustice, when you see through the lies and deceptions of the powerful, when you perceive hypocrisy and deceit? How might God be calling you to speak up when you recognize racism, misogyny, xenophobia or other forms of discrimination? Silence empowers the oppressors. Be bold. Speak truth. And never give up.
Br. David Vryhof, SSJE (A monk of the Society of St. John the Evangelist, Cambridge, MA)
It appears that Ukrainian forces are breaking through Russian defensive lines (yes, plural) in Zaporizia and are about halfway to Tokmak, which is a major transportation hub very roughly half way from the Dnieper River to the Sea of Azov.. At least in places Russian forces are said to be fleeing, and Russian administrators of Tokmak are reportedly evacuating the city. If Ukrainian artillery can get within range of the seacoast, the Russian forces to the west (including Crimea) will only be able to resupply via the Kerch Strait bridges. Recently the Russians have sunk several ferries to help protect the bridges from Ukrainian marine drones; the ferries were the backup for the bridges. It is not clear to what degree the bridges remain usable. Note that as a matter of policy the Ukrainian armed forces do not report activities at the front for 48 hours. Russian telephone conversations are monitored continually, and Western commercial satellite photography is available on roughly a daily basis, with a resolution that rivals that of military reconnaissance not so long ago, while Russian satellite reconnaissance continues to decay because they are not able to replace failing satellites. I regret that the US has been so slow to allow Ukraine to have F-16 fighter jets, but there is movement along those lines--and Sweden is starting to furnish Ukraine with their Gripen fighters, which I believe are roughly equivalent and specifically designed to deal with Russian opponents. All in all, a very hard slog, but promising. ----Alan
I also hope that the Russian Empire will disintegrate once again and for all. After the 1917 revolution and the fall of the Tsarist government several independent countries formed, but they were reabsorbed into the Soviet Union; the economic relationships and transport routes formed under the Tsars proved very important. But if foreign countries refuse to invest in or trade with the Russian Federation, that could change the equation. There are several nominally independent countries in the Federation, or ones that could theoretically become independent under the present constitution, with important natural resources that are exploited by Russia. If the people of those countries should profit from their own resources, and particularly if they have road or rail links across the southern borders (which several do), independence could become a reality. For now Russis is well on the way to becoming a resource colony of China, but China's demographic collapse will probably put the brakes on that. I think. And yes, I think that at a minimum all Russia's overseas assets should be exploited for the benefit of Ukraine. -----Alan
One of the people I sit with in spiritual guidance is a professor whose students treated her terribly last year. She is a generous and kind person, but they had a lot of entitlement issues. I am thinking that if the killer turns out to have been a student of this professor, it will really spook her. With classes about to begin again, I'm going to check in on how she's doing.
Yes, the decedent seems to have been the major professor of the graduate student. It is not uncommon for professors and their graduate students to part on less than friendly terms, but this is egregious in the extreme. The relationships between lecturers and undergraduates are generally far less stressful, but in recent times there seem to be a lot of undergraduates who think they deserve A grades independent of whether they have or have not mastered the material. ----Alan P.S.: When grade inflation became a big factor in the US, back during the Vietnam War, the University of California Berkeley academic senate made the decision that there would be ZERO grade inflation at Berkeley. It has not been easy to hold that line, but they have. There has been a diversion of a full grade point or more (maybe two grade points depending on the course) between UCB and Stanford; probably the same between UCB and Harvard/Yale. There has long been a question whether professors at Harvard are even capable of recognizing A-quality work any more.
Note! If your at-home Covid tests have dates that are expired or nearly so, don't throw them out! Check through this article for the newly extended expiration dates. Depending on the brand they have been extended 3 to 12 months, because when they were created the actual expiration date wasn't known, so they set a conservative guess. It now is known. Vermont Public: Answering your questions about COVID-19 in Vermont this fall
I saw Dr. Leyland today for my second 6-month testosterone suppression shot. Testosterone suppression will suppress cancer growth for an indefinite period -- maybe the rest of my life, maybe not. We discussed the pros and cons of trying to cure the cancer, which became an option when it was determined that there were no metastases. His opinion, as a surgeon, is that the risks and potential side effects of surgery outweigh the possible benefits. For radiation therapy he would want an evaluation by a radiation oncologist. He doesn't seem optimistic. The third alternative is the new focused ultrasound, available at the University of Chicago. I may ask their opinion at some point, but no hurrty.
That all comports with what I know about the subject. Even back in olden times when there were no blood tests for prostatic cancer, they knew that most men over 60 or 65 had microscopically demonstrable prostatic cancers, but they did them no harm, and they died of something else altogether. Conservative is the way to go, absent some serious adverse change. IMO. Presumably neither of us is in danger of being shot dead by a jealous husband! [grin] ---Alan
Jealous I am. The wildflower seed I bought came up mostly yellow.
ReplyDelete{listener}
DeleteOh no!
I recommend the Vermont Wildfliwer Farm. They can tailor it to your grow zone.
Vermont Wildflower Farm
Delete{listener}
ReplyDeleteSPEAK
How might God be calling you today to be courageous in speaking the truth when you recognize injustice, when you see through the lies and deceptions of the powerful, when you perceive hypocrisy and deceit? How might God be calling you to speak up when you recognize racism, misogyny, xenophobia or other forms of discrimination? Silence empowers the oppressors. Be bold. Speak truth. And never give up.
Br. David Vryhof, SSJE
(A monk of the Society of St. John the Evangelist, Cambridge, MA)
Arizona Attorney General isn’t going to let others get all the glory; fifth case against TFG is shaping up. [Click]
ReplyDelete——Alan
Another? *chortles gleefully*
DeleteJust need 9 more crimes to make it to 100. Easy peasy.
DeleteArgentine presidential election first round [Click] About as close to a three-way tie as could be. Speculation about next government’s program.
ReplyDelete—-Alan
Rolling Stone: Jack Smith’s Team Grilled Witnesses About Rudy Giuliani’s Drinking [Click] “The special counsel’s interest in Rudy’s drinking could play a role in undermining one of Trump’s key legal defenses”
ReplyDelete—Alan
It appears that Ukrainian forces are breaking through Russian defensive lines (yes, plural) in Zaporizia and are about halfway to Tokmak, which is a major transportation hub very roughly half way from the Dnieper River to the Sea of Azov.. At least in places Russian forces are said to be fleeing, and Russian administrators of Tokmak are reportedly evacuating the city. If Ukrainian artillery can get within range of the seacoast, the Russian forces to the west (including Crimea) will only be able to resupply via the Kerch Strait bridges. Recently the Russians have sunk several ferries to help protect the bridges from Ukrainian marine drones; the ferries were the backup for the bridges. It is not clear to what degree the bridges remain usable. Note that as a matter of policy the Ukrainian armed forces do not report activities at the front for 48 hours. Russian telephone conversations are monitored continually, and Western commercial satellite photography is available on roughly a daily basis, with a resolution that rivals that of military reconnaissance not so long ago, while Russian satellite reconnaissance continues to decay because they are not able to replace failing satellites. I regret that the US has been so slow to allow Ukraine to have F-16 fighter jets, but there is movement along those lines--and Sweden is starting to furnish Ukraine with their Gripen fighters, which I believe are roughly equivalent and specifically designed to deal with Russian opponents. All in all, a very hard slog, but promising.
ReplyDelete----Alan
This sounds hopeful. My greatest hope is that this fool war can end and people can begin to rebuild Ukraine with Russian funds.
DeleteI also hope that the Russian Empire will disintegrate once again and for all. After the 1917 revolution and the fall of the Tsarist government several independent countries formed, but they were reabsorbed into the Soviet Union; the economic relationships and transport routes formed under the Tsars proved very important. But if foreign countries refuse to invest in or trade with the Russian Federation, that could change the equation. There are several nominally independent countries in the Federation, or ones that could theoretically become independent under the present constitution, with important natural resources that are exploited by Russia. If the people of those countries should profit from their own resources, and particularly if they have road or rail links across the southern borders (which several do), independence could become a reality. For now Russis is well on the way to becoming a resource colony of China, but China's demographic collapse will probably put the brakes on that. I think. And yes, I think that at a minimum all Russia's overseas assets should be exploited for the benefit of Ukraine.
Delete-----Alan
Fani Willis Moves to Fast Track Case for All 19 Defendants [Click]
ReplyDelete—Alan
The FBI and European law enforcement agencies dismantled a massive network of hacked computers that had been used to defraud victims of hundreds of millions of dollars, agencies announced Tuesday. [Click]
ReplyDelete—Alan
Intensifying Hurricane Idalia accelerates toward Florida
ReplyDeleteClick to see Idalia's real-time animated satellite loop
DeleteUniversity of North Carolina graduate student charged with murder of faculty member [Click] The relationship between a graduate student and his/her major professor can be VERY intense.
ReplyDelete——Alan
One of the people I sit with in spiritual guidance is a professor whose students treated her terribly last year. She is a generous and kind person, but they had a lot of entitlement issues. I am thinking that if the killer turns out to have been a student of this professor, it will really spook her. With classes about to begin again, I'm going to check in on how she's doing.
DeleteYes, the decedent seems to have been the major professor of the graduate student. It is not uncommon for professors and their graduate students to part on less than friendly terms, but this is egregious in the extreme. The relationships between lecturers and undergraduates are generally far less stressful, but in recent times there seem to be a lot of undergraduates who think they deserve A grades independent of whether they have or have not mastered the material.
Delete----Alan
P.S.: When grade inflation became a big factor in the US, back during the Vietnam War, the University of California Berkeley academic senate made the decision that there would be ZERO grade inflation at Berkeley. It has not been easy to hold that line, but they have. There has been a diversion of a full grade point or more (maybe two grade points depending on the course) between UCB and Stanford; probably the same between UCB and Harvard/Yale. There has long been a question whether professors at Harvard are even capable of recognizing A-quality work any more.
{listener}
DeleteYup. The trouble I spoke of related to students who refused to do some of the required work and wanted great grades anyway.
Note! If your at-home Covid tests have dates that are expired or nearly so, don't throw them out! Check through this article for the newly extended expiration dates. Depending on the brand they have been extended 3 to 12 months, because when they were created the actual expiration date wasn't known, so they set a conservative guess. It now is known.
ReplyDeleteVermont Public: Answering your questions about COVID-19 in Vermont this fall
I saw Dr. Leyland today for my second 6-month testosterone suppression shot. Testosterone suppression will suppress cancer growth for an indefinite period -- maybe the rest of my life, maybe not. We discussed the pros and cons of trying to cure the cancer, which became an option when it was determined that there were no metastases. His opinion, as a surgeon, is that the risks and potential side effects of surgery outweigh the possible benefits. For radiation therapy he would want an evaluation by a radiation oncologist. He doesn't seem optimistic. The third alternative is the new focused ultrasound, available at the University of Chicago. I may ask their opinion at some point, but no hurrty.
ReplyDeleteThat all comports with what I know about the subject. Even back in olden times when there were no blood tests for prostatic cancer, they knew that most men over 60 or 65 had microscopically demonstrable prostatic cancers, but they did them no harm, and they died of something else altogether. Conservative is the way to go, absent some serious adverse change. IMO. Presumably neither of us is in danger of being shot dead by a jealous husband! [grin]
Delete---Alan
{listener}
DeleteSounds manageable.
Watch closely, and both of you take care. You’re needed around here.