The cost of helping Ukraine now is very low when compared with the cost of dealing with Russia if it is allowed to conquer Ukraine.
President Zelensky visits Cave Creek, AZ.
Note to the Republicans in Congress
Capitalism vs Socialism
“The trouble with socialism is socialism the trouble with capitalism is capitalists”
Capitalism harnesses greed to grow a nations wealth but while everyone has more, the wealth remains unevenly distributed. Many capitalists are too greedy. Men are made of crooked timber.
FYI I have used about fifty Winston Churchill quotes on my blog over the last 20 years.
Combo Pack
“The people are wiser than their rulers.”
General Douglas McArthur
This is a combination post. President Zelensky meets an Inukshuk with an embedded quote from Douglas McArthur in multiple colors. Two of my old favorites with my new skill set.
The quote is from Judgement at Toyko by Gary Bass
Book club reading.
Whining
“Complaining about a problem without posing a solution is called whining.”
Teddy Roosevelt
Duplicative Language
At Harvard “Duplicative Language” is a new name for plagiarism.
Plagiarism is getting redefined so that Harvard doesn’t have to fire there President. It reminds me of the one liner from Thomas Sowell: “Some ideas are so stupid only intellectuals believe them.”
The photo is one I took many years ago of a long forgotten valley in Central California.
Bigotry
“The soft bigotry of low expectations.”
George W Bush
This thought came to mind when I heard that the President of Harvard had resigned. And that is unfair, but I would have had the same thoughts , had the resignee been a tall, monied scion of an old family. Life is complicated. You try to help. It doesn’t always work.
Photo is from the Botero exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden. It is worth going to see. It is worth knowing more about Fernando Botero also.
Happy New Year Three
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…“
Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Times have gotten much better since 1859 when Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities. But there are still bad things happening. I argue accept that and focus on the improvements we are making.
Photo is from the front yard of our rental house in Healdsburg, CA.
A Free Society
The Great Firewall of China
The Great Firewall of China is a national effort to censor internet content from those within the country’s borders. It is an indicator of Chinese citizens lack of freedom of speech that their access to sites like Wikipedia and the Wall Street Journal is blocked.
The Great Wall didn’t work for long and the Great Firewall will have an even shorter life. I do like the way the name explains concisely what it is. BTW Firewall is a Portmanteau.
Promises Promises
“Decades of entitlement promises are finally running into reality,
reality is going to win.”
Photo is from a Postcrossing postcard I received. I have no idea where it is from, who took it or if it was heavily colorized. I just know it is stunningly beautiful.
News vs Gossip
TV “news” is mostly gossip, I try not to watch much of it.
Gossip is defined as: casual conversation or reports about others, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.
News is defined as: newly received information, especially about recent or important events.
There is news in amongst the gossip that TV news reports as news. But it is intended to alarm, anger or titillate more than it intends to inform. This came up because Hamas started a new war in Israel and I, like millions of others, wanted to know how a country and people I am deeply connected to are doing. Watching TV is the best available way and it is awful.
Another beautiful rose from the late bloom at the Huntington Gardens.