Music of the day

On By daevadIn #music, Suggested listening, Suggested viewingLeave a comment

Hot Tuna with guest Paul Kantner perform Have You Seen The Stars Tonight. This song is from the original Paul Kantner/Grace Slick/Jefferson Starship album Blows Against The Empire, which was the first rock album ever nominated for the Hugo Award. This was always my personal favorite song from the album, finding this live performance made my day.

Have You Seen The Stars Tonight — Hot Tuna — Live 1988

Incomplete outcome from the latest Ramstein meeting on Ukraine defense.

On By daevadIn #video, In the news, Suggested viewing, WarLeave a comment

The latest Ramstein meeting was both encouraging and disappointing. Encouraging news came in the form of commitments to improve Ukraine’s air defense capabilities including accelerated training in the use of the systems being provided. Disappointing news came in the form of less than hoped for promises of heavy armored vehicles, especially modern main battle tanks (we’re all staring at you, Germany).

Ukraine is fully expected to face a new major offensive from Putin’s armies of war criminals. Ukraine’s outnumbered armed forces are preparing to face this offensive as well as working to mount their own offensive and they need all the modern armor they can muster.

Here is a recent video report proving some perspective:

If NATO wants to avoid direct conflict with Russia, assistance to Ukraine must expand

On By daevadIn Around the world, In the news, Musings, War

Ukraine does not have the population that would be required to survive and win a protracted war of attrition defending itself from Russian aggression. Ukraine’s success in this conflict depends on being able to significantly outperform Putin’s forces. Ukraine’s allies need to stop dithering about which weapons systems can be used. Ukraine’s military needs more training, more ammunition, and more heavy and/or longer-range equipment. If that means ramping up production, then so be it.

Poland, the Baltic states, and other Russian border states understand all too well what is at stake. Failure to defeat Russia in Ukraine will automatically raise the threat level from Putin’s megalomania. The Putin contagion must be eliminated now before it has a chance to spread.

Russia terrorism expands

On By daevadIn Around the world, In the news, Musings, Suggested viewing, War

Let’s start with this recent report:

Russia’s actions in the war they started with Ukraine have no limits. There is no line they won’t cross, there is no action too appalling, no atrocity off-limits. This isn’t state-sponsored terrorism, this is state perpetrated terrorism. There is no attempt at a fig leaf of plausible deniability. The fact is that Russian propagandists openly acknowledge the terrorism and call for more, including wiping France, The U.K., and Germany off the map with nuclear weapons.

NATO and many other countries are providing aid to Ukraine, and the more the better. However, at some point NATO needs to draw a line re Moscow’s attempt at slow-motion genocide in Ukraine. Russian success in Ukraine will only lead to further adventures in the rest of the former Soviet states. This needs to be stopped sooner rather than later.

Christmas miracle

On By daevadIn Living, Musings

I was never a believer in such a thing as a Christmas miracle, but now I believe. This past Christmas season I managed to go through the entire time without even once hearing The Twelve Days of Christmas. A miraculous event! Praise be! A corollary is that I never saw or heard a news story explaining how much it would cost to purchase all twelve items. Another miracle!

I have been well and truly blessed! Miracles can happen!