Just came across this visual diagram by country of the world’s estimated population of 8 Billion as of November 2022:
World Events
A Former Ukrainian Speaks
On the front page of our newspaper was an article about a local woman who was born in Lviv (western Ukraine) and who has a son still living there with his family. She talked about how she watched in horror as Russia started their advance … and that she is terrified for her loved ones.
But she is also angry.
Watching Putin give his speech made her furious. She says he is “sick” and is like a “monkey with a grenade.” She sees him as worse than Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Ladin put together. “Every sentence is a lie.”
She’s also unhappy with Biden and places some of the blame on him. Although he announced new sanctions and that he would send troops to nearby NATO countries, in her opinion, that’s not enough.
She believes the U.S. should stop buying oil from Russia every day. “We can use our own oil. We don’t need to spend even one dollar for Russian oil and gas. We have plenty of resources here.”
She also says that the U.S. should block Russian communications and cut off Putin’s intelligence.
Of course there was more in the article, but I wondered what readers think about her suggestions. Is she speaking strictly from emotion … or is there some validity to her suggestions?
As I mentioned in my last post on this subject, I’m a neophyte when it comes to “world affairs,” so I’m depending on those of you who are knowledgeable in such matters to provide information, studied opinions, and valid evidence.
It’s Almost That “Time” Again
Source: https://nelsonteaminc.com/
No, it’s not here quite yet, but it’s coming up fast!
What am I talking about? You guessed it! The TIME CHANGE!
Yup! In approximately two weeks, many of us in the States will “gain” an hour’s sleep.
I don’t think I need to point out the various and sundry “adjustments” that are needed within one’s household to compensate for this event, but I bet several people reading this will agree with me when I say it’s One Big Pain!
Not only do we have to alter our personal sleep patterns (which experts say temporarily messes up our circadian rhythms), but many of us are put into the awkward position of having to “explain” to our pets why they’re not being fed at their usual time. Or why their morning “walk” is a bit off schedule.
I do recognize there are parents who have expressed their preference for this event since it’s currently dark when children go to school and the time change “lightens” thing up a bit. (However, since I’m personally well past that stage of life, I find it difficult to share their joy.)
On the other end of the spectrum — since the change means it’s dark at a much earlier hour of the day, many bemoan the fact that various outdoor activities are canceled. And to this point, the early darkness can actually trigger depression in some people.
In any event .. best to start preparing NOW for whatever changes are relevant to you and your household.
P.S. If you happen to be one of the fortunate individuals who lives in a state (or country) that doesn’t have to go through this pain-in-the-rear routine, consider yourself lucky indeed! While there is talk among various locales to make DST permanent, overall agreement is still a ways off.
Afghanistan: A Different Perspective
The Afghanistan situation has produced an extensive collection of opinions and judgments from both the armchair world affair devotees, as well as the average folk who spend marginal time perusing the latest news but enjoy offering their “studied” feedback. And of course, from the many and assorted “experts.”
Personally, I rarely delve into any kind of intense study related to major world events. My practice is to read just enough to get a general idea of what’s going on but not enough to enter a debate. Thus, you’ll rarely find me offering any kind of “studied” opinion on the topic.
I’ve adopted this formula related to the Afghanistan situation. I know what’s going on and have perused the several “for and against” perspectives. However, while I’ve formed somewhat of a personal opinion, I would not be comfortable presenting it for discussion.
Having said this, I came across a blog post on the topic that I found rather interesting. It was written by a person who recently started following my blog and appears to be from India. Thus, the post is written from a slightly different viewpoint than what many of us are used to seeing.
Since my knowledge of the entire Afghanistan situation is fairly rudimentary, I don’t know if what this person has written is –or is not– accurate. Nevertheless, I found her perspective rather interesting and hope my readers will share their thoughts and observations.
You can find the blog post here. (Note that it was written before the August 31st deadline.)
Nan's Notebook 