The Usual and Iran

Last Tuesday was our final baby hummingbird sighting.  There has been nothing since then.  So, maybe the baby fledged successfully, or maybe it was eaten.  Based on the timeline provided by the internet, it didn't seem like enough time had passed since hatching and flying.  But it was hard so say, since we could not see inside the nest.  The bird is centered in the photo, it's hard to see.

Other than that, bike, hike, row, and lift weights.

Currently there is no ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.  Jim and I are wondering if gas will be available to return to Spokane by mid-April. The sticking point is ship insurance.  Underwriters have cancelled existing policies and made it really expensive to insure for travel through there.  In addition to fuel shortages, we will see shortages of urea, ammonia, sulfur and phosphate; four key ingredients of fertilizer.  They need to be on the ship now in time to make it for spring planting.  This is bad.

Kristi Noem has been fired from DHS, her new job is Special Envoy to the Shield of the Americas.  Every time I hear that, I picture her in the Wonder Woman suit, holding the Lasso of Truth.  George Conway said it best, "replacing Noem with MarkWayne Mullen is like shitting your pants and then changing your shirt."  I laugh every time I think about that.

This is a stupid war.  The US does not have enough interceptor drones to counter Iran's thousands of Shaheds.  Iran cranks those out like crazy, as does China.  We're spending millions of dollars per missile to knock down cheap drones.  Today WAPO had a headline that Russia is giving Iran targeting data on the US positions.  Meanwhile, the US is asking Ukraine for help on how to swat down these pesky drones fired by Iran.  Personally, if I were Zelenskyy I would give the US nothing, 47 will just turn around and give information to Russia.  Zelenskyy has said, it's not like we can just send you a box of drones, it took them years to develop a layered defense and to know how best and when to fire what at the Shaheds.  I do not think the US has that kind of time with limited resources.

The girls' school that was bombed was bombed by the US.  It wasn't Iran.  Why, exactly this happened, is either not known, or they don't want to say.

Phillips P Obrien has an excellent substack up about the rot that infests the military.  It can be summed up by lack of education and moral fiber.  Rot. It really is worth a read.

In a substack written by Jonathan Larsen, we read the following:  
"A combat-unit commander told non-commissioned officers at a briefing Monday that the Iran war is part of God’s plan and that Pres. Donald Trump was “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth,” according to a complaint by a non-commissioned officer."
This is so off the mark, I can't believe this is allowed.  This is what happens when the Secretary of Defense is a Christo-Fascist.

47 has gone on record as saying that HE will name the next leader of Iran.  Right, then.

I feel so fortunate to live in interesting times.