Count Down

When you realize the last day of 2023 is 123123

 

AH AH AAHH!

The Big Pecker

For a awhile there has been a persistent hammering coming from the treeline along Silver Creek.  Mind you there is an abundance of dead and dying ash along the creek banks and in the swampy slough to the west. 

I already had a pretty good idea of who might be the maestro of the anvil chorus emanating from the woods - but I hadn't had an opportunity to confirm the identity.

So the dog and I went to investigate on one of our walks.

Check this out.

A big old ash tree with any number of cavities under construction.   

 
At the base of the tree was a sizable trash midden of wood chips.  

And while I didn't catch it on the job; these holes belong to none other than Wisconsin's largest pecker.  The pileated woodpecker.  

 

Female Pileated - Nestwatch Image

The name derives from the the Latin pileatus - "wearing a cap".

This bird is about the size of a crow and announces its territory by drumming on hollow trees, chimneys and utility poles.

It's favorite food is carpenter ants and it will carve oval holes up to several feet long in tree trunks. It feeds it's young regurgitated insects.  Yum!

 

Anyway, since this on one of our regular routes we'll be monitoring progress to determine if these are nesting cavities or if the birds are simply disassembling the trees for purposes of feeding.  

 

One of the consequences of Emerald Ash Borer is an abundance of dead and dying ash on the landscape.  I have never been witness to so many numbers and varieties of woodpeckers in my life.  Lordy.

 

Friday Music

The last time I blogged about this subject was a year ago.

Then it was the trifecta of The Mighty Fendertones, The Royal Philharmonic and a live studio version featuring Brian Wilson and Al Jardine.

As fate would have it I've stumbled-across a video detailing the creative process behind the recording of Sloop John B from the Beach Boys 1966 album Pet Sounds.

Enjoy...

Wile E. Coyote

Recent coyote action from the trail camera trap line.

All nocturnal...

 

Recipe Of The Day

Native to the Americas where it was first domesticated - Phaseolus vulgaris - also known as the haricot bean, pea bean, Boston bean or navy bean, this dry white bean has been a staple of sailors serving in the US Navy since the mid-1800s.

We're fans of homemade soup.  And a recent cold snap inspired me to make a batch of one of our standby favorites. 

Navy Bean Soup

Step One - Make your stock.  In a large stock pot slow cook a couple of Marchant's smoked pork hocks for about 5+ hours.

Step Two - At bedtime cover and put the pot in the garage overnight.  In the morning skim the congealed fat  from the surface. Remove the meat from the hocks and set aside.  Discard the fat, skin and bones.

Step Three - Dice a sweet onion and add to the stock.  Sift thru two 16 ounce bags of dried beans looking for any stones or bad beans,  Add to pot.  Cover and simmer on low until the beans are al dente.  Roughly 3-4 hours.

Step Four - Peel and dice some potato and add to the pot.  Cover and continue to simmer 20 - 30 minutes.

Step Five - Add back to the pot all of the reserved meat and a couple of grated carrots.  Salt to taste.

Last Step - Serve with oyster crackers, saltines or a crusty baguette.

 Good chow if you can get it.  And it's even better reheated the next day.

Progress

From yesterday there was this.

52F and sunshine.

Unbelievable.

 Pupper is six months old and is now wearing an e-collar....

 

December Night Sky

If the skies are cold and clear tonight and tomorrow the Cold Full Moon will travel thru the twin stars of the constellation Gemini; Castor and Pollux.

Watch for this to unfold a couple of hours after sunset above the eastern horizon.  

 

Merry Christmas

Best wishes from all of us at The Platz for a very merry Christmas!

December Night Sky

  The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, Gave a lustre of midday to objects below, When what to my wondering eyes did appear, But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.    

 -'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Clement Clarke Moore      

 

December's full moon, illuminating the skies on December 26, 2023, holds special significance as it aligns with Christmas Day.  This celestial event is the first full moon following the winter solstice, enhancing its allure during this special and festive season.

12-11-19 Full Cold Moon

The full moon you will observe in the heavens this evening is called the Full Cold Moon.  It is characterized by the arc of its trajectory across the sky which allows it to appear above the horizon for a longer period of time. 

Because of its close association with the winter solstice - and the shortest of daylight hours - native people called this the Long Nights Moon.   My ancient European pagan ancestors called this the Moon Before Yule in recognition of the Yuletide festivities celebrating the return of the sun heralded by the winter solstice. 

 

To the casual observer the moon will appear full both tonight and Wednesday evening as well. 

Fingers crossed for clear, cold viewing tonight.

Nativity Story

The Bible story of the virgin birth is at the center of much of the holiday cheer this time of year. The book of Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem because Caesar Augustus decreed a census should be taken. Mary gave birth after arriving in Bethlehem and placed baby Jesus in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.       

Some people think Mary and Joseph were mistreated by a greedy innkeeper, who only cared about profits and decided the couple was not worth his normal accommodations. This version of the story (narrative) has been repeated many times in plays, skits, and sermons. It fits an anti-capitalist mentality that paints business owners as greedy, or even evil.         

It persists even though the Bible records no complaints and there was apparently no charge for the stable. It may be the stable was the only place available. Bethlehem was over-crowded with people forced to return to their ancestral home for a census – ordered by the Romans – for the purpose of levying taxes. If there was a problem, it was due to unintended consequences of government policy. In this narrative, the government caused the problem.          

The innkeeper was generous to a fault – a hero even. He was over-booked, but he charitably offered his stable, a facility he built with unknowing foresight. The innkeeper was willing and able to offer this facility even as government officials, who ordered and administered the census, slept in their own beds with little care for the well-being of those who had to travel regardless of their difficult life circumstances.         

If you must find "evil" in either of these narratives, remember that evil is ultimately perpetrated by individuals, not the institutions in which they operate. And this is why it's important to favor economic and political systems that limit the use and abuse of power over others. In the story of baby Jesus, a government law that requires innkeepers to always have extra rooms, or to take in anyone who asks, would "fix" the problem.         

But these laws would also have unintended consequences. Fewer investors would back hotels because the cost of the regulations would reduce returns on investment. A hotel big enough to handle the rare census would be way too big in normal times. Even a bed and breakfast would face the potential of being sued. There would be fewer hotel rooms, prices would rise, and innkeepers would once again be called greedy. And if history is our guide, government would chastise them for price-gouging and then try to regulate prices.

This does not mean free markets are perfect or create utopia; they aren't and they don't. But businesses can't force you to buy a service or product. You have a choice – even if it's not exactly what you want. And good business people try to make you happy in creative and industrious ways.         

Government doesn't always care. In fact, if you happen to live in North Korea or Cuba, and are not happy about the way things are going, you can't leave. And just in case you try, armed guards will help you think things through.         

This is why the Framers of the US Constitution made sure there were "checks and balances" in our system of government. These checks and balances don't always lead to good outcomes; we can think of many times when some wanted to ignore these safeguards. But, over time, the checks and balances help prevent the kinds of despotism we've seen develop elsewhere.         

Neither free market capitalism, nor the checks and balances of the Constitution are the equivalent of having a true Savior. But they should give us all hope that the future will be brighter than many seem to think.

Credit - First Trust Advisors

 

December Night Sky

With cold, clear, view conditions for your holiday viewing pleasure you can catch both our moon and the Pleiades.  

This cluster of stars commonly known as the Seven Sisters is found in the constellation Taurus, the Bull.  In Greek mythology, Atlas' daughters turned into this group of stars.

Tonight and tomorrow the moon and Pleiades will cross the sky together in the eastern sky.

Fun Fact:  Subaru is the Japanese word for 'unite' as well as a term identifying this cluster of stars.  In 1953, five Japanese companies merged to form Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.  The resulting corporation adopted the star cluster as the official logo for its line of automobiles.  Fuji Heavy Industries, known as Subaru since 2017, is a global leader in both terrestrial and aerospace transportation.

 

Solstice Follow-up

 

I took these photos yesterday at sunset.

There are way too many trees on the horizon and likely some atmospheric refraction.  Our lofty altitude of 710 feet above sea level and a latitude that is almost halfway between the equator and the North Pole might also come into play.

Nevertheless, it was the solstice so it seemed like a good idea to shoot an approximate azimuth of the sunset.

Daylight begins to increase today...

 

Friday Music

Originally a traditional German folk song this tune had little if anything to do with Christmas - or describe a decorated Christmas tree.  The original lyrics had everything to do with a fir tree’s evergreen quality as a symbol of constancy and faithfulness.  You see, a Tannenbaum is a fir tree.  

The folk song eventually became associated with the celebration of Christmas when Ernst Anschütz added two additional verses of his own to the traditional verse in 1824.  The custom of the Christmas tree developed in the course of the 19th century and with Anschütz’s changes the song came to be seen as a Christmas carol early in the 20^th century.

You can also cut the tannenbaum and use the limbs to camouflage your German Leopard tank.

Nothing like heavy armor to get you in the holiday spirit.....

Hootch

Creamsicle or Dreamsicle?

Creamsicles are creamy, orange-flavored popsicles that have found a special place in summertime cravings. But while some love creamsicles, others prefer another creamy, orange-flavored popsicle dreamsicles.   What's the difference?  Most of it is branding; these terms have been used interchangeably since the start of the creamsicle, it turns out there is a difference.  Both have a solid sherbet exterior, but a creamsicle technically has an ice cream center while a dreamsicle has an ice milk center.

Today's recipe of the day is something you can make for the holidays.  Orange Dreamsicle Moonshine

Ingredients

1 gallon pulp free orange juice
2 tbsp vanilla extract
½ cup French Vanilla Creamer
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup Vanilla Vodka
3 cups 190 proof Everclear

Instructions

In a very large pot, pour the orange juice, sugar, vanilla extract and the French Vanilla Coffee
Creamer. Bring to a boil and stir until the coffee creamer is completely incorporated. 

Add the Everclear and the vodka to the orange juice mix. Stir well. Ladle the hot beverage into
mason jars. Seal tightly with sterilized lids and bands. 

As the jars cool the lids will pop.  Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Shake well before serving. 

Recipe yields five and a half quarts.  Enjoy!

_________________________________________________________________________
 * A word about the jars and lids.  Sterilize your jars by immersing them in boiling water or running them through the dishwasher on the 'sanitize' cycle.  Lids are easy - in the microwave heat a Pyrex measuring cup full of water to a boil. Drop your lids in the hot water.  Fish them out with a sterile tongs.
 

Check Your Shadow Today

Winter solstice!

The hiemal solstice or hibernal solstice, sometimes called midwinter or astronomical winter.  More commonly known as the winter solstice this event occurs when the Sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.4 degrees. It is that point in time when the sun is exactly over the Tropic of Capricorn.  In other words - when the North Pole is tilted furthest away from the Sun.  If you are persnickety we will enjoy only 8 hours and 46 minutes of daylight today.

On this date for anyone residing in Antarctica (the South Pole)  - the opposite is true.  Today you would observe the Midnight Sun and enjoy 24 hours of sunlight.  For us living in the northern hemisphere this evening will be the longest night of the year.  This is to say that after tonight the daylight hours will begin to grow longer in the days and weeks to follow.  

If it is nice and sunny be sure to go outside at noon to observe your shadow.  On the solstice your shadow is the longest it will be all year. 

Before bedtime you may want to go outside to observe the heavens and raise a toast to the winter solstice and check out the Ursid meteor showers  And maybe howl at the moon.

Fingers-crossed for cold, clear, winter night skies. 

Cheers!

 

Blockade Ends

Under pressure from Senate Republicans, Florida Man and Alabama senator, Tommy Tuberville abruptly agreed to drop his objections to eleven remaining four star officer promotions.

Following almost a year of blocking military promotions over Pentagon policy ensuring service members could receive time off and travel expense reimbursement to seek abortion or other reproductive health services in another location Tuberville performed an about face.

The promotions were swiftly approved yesterday by unanimous consent - allowing the Senate to wrap up this important business before the holiday break.

I don't know if this is further evidence that you shouldn't take hostages you aren't prepared to shoot or poetic justice for forcing the US military to fight his culture war.  Either way, coach Tuberville is a dick.

December Night Sky

 

If you have a cold, clear evening and you are looking for something to view in the night sky; look to the southeast.

The waxing gibbous moon will pass the unshakable light of Jupiter Thursday and Friday evening evening.  Both will be viewable until well after midnight.

Remember, no skeets this time of year.

Sunrise

From last week a brilliant red sunrise.

Two days to the winter solstice!

Quote Of The Day

Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the Republican party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. 

Frankly, these people frighten me.  Politics and governing demand compromise.  But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise.  

I know, I've tried to deal with them.

-Barry Goldwater

Frozen Treasure

Last weekend I finally built-up enough nerve to perform a chore subject to a great deal of long-standing procrastination.

I defrosted the basement chest freezers.

There are three chest freezers in my basement and with the delivery of fresh venison to the guys from deer camp the smallest of the three was empty.  Between that and a couple of coolers I had the capacity to offload the contents of the remaining freezers and defrost each.  Freezer #1 on Saturday and freezer #2 on Sunday.  Freezer #3 is unplugged and idled until needed.

I have to say I felt a bit like Howard Carter opening King Tut's tomb; especially the top-loading chest and the hidden treasures that had found their way to the nether region of the bottom.  Smaller in quantity than I initially feared some items were so old they were discarded.  

And I had the opportunity to inventory, consolidate and rearrange the contents into a more organized fashion by application of baskets and boxes.  

And a suggestion by my lovely wife (the brains of the organization) each freezer now sports magnetic dry-erase boards on the door listing the quantity and contents of each.  

Inventory at a glance and an opportunity to really scratch my obsessive compulsive disorder itch!

A New Set Of Choppers

In a bizarre twist of the tale of man bites dog Francis Wharton lived in the wilds of Little Fort, British Columbia in the 1950s - 60s.

 

 

Far from civilization the resourceful Wharton found himself in need of upper dentures. 

Extracting the teeth from a deer and filing them down, Wharton set the deer's teeth in a base of plastic wood using household cement to keep them in place. 

Then he ate the deer...with its own teeth. 

If you are traveling nearby, make a point to visit the Museum of Healthcare in Kingston, Ontario.

His home built choppers are on display there.

Serious Thoughts About Serious Reforms

Baby boomers are that demographic born between 1946 and 1964.  I happen to be a member of that cohort.  We are referred-to as 'boomers' because it was during this period there was a statistical increase in the number of births.  Our parents were busy making babies which resulted in a boom or bulge in the broader, general population.  When I was advising individuals on financial matters I would counsel them to to think of this as the pig moving through the python.  

Why is this on my mind?  First, I'm a retired guy with time on his hands so I think about this from time to time.  Second, there is a minority caucus in congress that would lead you to believe (loudly) that our annual deficit and accumulated debt can be made to be magically solved by reducing discretionary spending in the federal budget.

Nonsense.  The real problem that nobody, Republican or Democrat, wants to talk about is this.

As recently as last year federal spending for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare and other healthcare programs accounted for 46 percent of all federal spending.  Very likely this year it will tip over the halfway point of 50 percent and be larger than spending for all other priorities.

About 10,000 boomers attain 65 years of age every day.  In 2029 the youngest of the baby boomers will turn 65.  Stated differently, all of us boomers will be age 65 and older.  This has multiple implications.

The growing ranks of retiring boomers is having a direct impact on the number of available workers in the U.S. workforce.  This turnover in the labor force has resulted in a shortage of workers in some occupations and locations; but it also creates opportunities. 

Social Security is primarily funded by payroll taxes assessed on wages.  The share of workers paying taxes has been falling relative to the share of beneficiaries creating an imbalance. This introduces an element of risk.  We all know about this and we should make a plan over the next generation to address it.  Without a plan the problem can escalate to a crisis.  Delaying to plan simply increases the risk and the scale of possible crisis.

Complicating this is only 55% of my boomer cohort has some retirement savings.  Of those who have saved, 42 percent have less than $100,000 set-aside.  Consequently, roughly half of retired boomers will have to rely on Social Security as their principle source of retirement income.  That is scary. 

Furthermore, we are living longer than ever before.  Each generation is exceeding the average life expectancy of the previous. 

When Franklin Roosevelt signed Social Security into law in 1935, the age to qualify for Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance was 65.  In those days the number of poor people was greater and lacked health insurance.  When benefits were first paid in 1940, 46 percent of adult males did not survive to age 65.  For those who did, the average life expectancy was less than 13 years.  For women it was only slightly better.

For a 65 year-old couple nowadays there is a high probability that at least one of them will survive to 90 years of age or beyond.  And while life expectancy has risen the minimum qualifying age for receiving a reduced Social Security benefit has fallen to 62.  The result is a significant percentage of beneficiaries will collect benefits for a third of their adult lives.

Declining birth rates and the absence of a comprehensive immigration policy have contributed to a decline in the ratio of workers to beneficiaries from 5.1 in 1965 to 2.7 today.

Where do we go from here?   

Doing nothing simply increases the probability of a greater crisis.  Continued borrowing to protect the growth of Social Security and Medicare is unsustainable.  Budget voodoo suggesting that cuts solely to the ever-shrinking discretionary portion of the federal budget is equally unsustainable.  Shoring-up the system on the backs of today's working families is unfair.  Threatening another government shutdown is dangerous to our credit rating and fixes nothing.  None of the foregoing is serious.

The last time policymakers took a serious run at this was 1983 when Reagan signed into law major Social Security reforms as a consequence of an urgent benefits crisis.  In the intervening years those reforms have generally held-up.  Nonetheless, any number of demographic and economic factors have contributed to a projected exhaustion of the trust fund in 2033.  

Today we're not facing a funding crisis and reduction of benefits in three short months.  There is a big difference between a few months and a couple of decades.  Yet 1983 does have lessons for us.  One is the importance of a bipartisan deal like the one forged by Speaker Tip O'Neill and President Ronald Reagan along with support by both parties.

An additional lesson is the importance of phasing in change over a generation.  The 1983 reforms included accelerating scheduled payroll tax increases and raising the full retirement age; none of which impacted beneficiaries already on the rolls.  This afforded future beneficiaries decades to plan for retirement.  And the politics of gradual change is more easily accepted than abrupt change.   

What defines middle age and old age continues to change as most Americans are living longer and better than ever before so we must revisit our retirement expectations and the government and private programs that support them.  

We need to revisit the wage cap on contributions as a means to increase revenue.  I am smart enough to know that it is the wealthiest who live the longest and stand to benefit from smart reforms.  We can reduce spending by adjusting the earliest retirement age from 62 and full retirement from 67.  Remember:  The last increase was 40 years ago.  I am mindful that our population demographics are imperfect but far better than countries like China, Russia, Germany and France.  Yet unless we start cranking out more babies there is a very good case for embracing comprehensive immigration reform. The sixth paragraph (above) suggests opportunities.

We should be looking for saving money on those who don't need it and spending money on those who need it the most.  Medicare needs to be reformed for those who choose to work longer and those who might have to retire earlier as a consequence of a job that has exacted a physical toll.

Beneficiaries should be induced to delay retirement by means of crediting higher benefits later in life for increasingly delaying their retirement.

Add to this the hodgepodge of state by state perks granted to us seniors as a consequence of living to age 65.  On balance young families with similar incomes pay a higher tax burden than their parents who are better-off.

Now get off of my damn lawn!

Charts: Heritage Foundation

Report Card

Exhausted by the blistering pace of governing our House of Representatives have now beaten it out of town for a much-deserved three week vacation.

After a year at the legislative grindstone the 118th Congress passed a total of 22 bills into law making this the least productive legislative session since 1931.  Of course the 1931 congress was only in session for the month of December.  

It is entirely possible that no Congress in our nation's long and storied history has spent so much time accomplishing so little as this one.

Congratulations.

December Night Sky

 

If you have a cold, clear evening and you are looking for something to view in the night sky; look to the south.

The waxing crescent moon will pass the unshakable light of Saturn tonight and tomorrow evening.  Both will be viewable until about 10 PM.

Remember, no skeets this time of year.

Sunrise

Tuesday morning I rose before sunrise and put the coffee-on.  Looking out the kitchen window I saw the sun begin to peek above the southeastern horizon.  Taking a photo from the porch I cursed the utility pole despoiling the view.  But I digress.

I seems like it was only yesterday that the sun was rising over the machine shed immediately to the east.  Not so; Old Sol is continuing it's relentless march south as we approach the winter solstice next week. 

We live almost half-way between the equator and the north pole and with mostly clear horizons and dark skies astronomical events are easier for us.  Although as the forest continues to grow west of the house the view has shrunk over the last thirty years.

Anyway, I shot an azimuth with my compass for kicks and giggles.  And so you know I'm not making this up..... 

 

Friday Music

Composed and sung by Bob Dylan Knockin' on Heaven's Door is included in the soundtrack for the 1973 movie:  Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.  Released as a single – it rose to Number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.  

 It brings back a number of fond memories from my last year in high school.  It's been covered by countless other musicians including my favorites Eric Clapton and Guns N’ Roses.

This is a particularly nice version including Dylan in a remaster of the original HD video.

Enjoy….

Afternoon Hunt

Following an overnight trip to the naked city I got home in time to begin defrosting one of the basement chest freezers.  (Back story is all of the fresh venison from this year's hunt has been delivered and I have an empty freezer to facilitate the process).

Anyway, it was sunny and 45+ today so Ruby and I went out for a nice, long hunt.  

Just after I snapped this photo we made a right turn on the trail to return to the house when almost immediately, Mighty Dog flushed one and than a second ring neck.  All alone and unassisted.  I was caught flat-footed and unable to raise my gun immediately.  The first bird was between me and the house - no shot there.  And the second bird landed between us and the road and took-off running.

While the dog was searching for the runner I spied (maybe the first bird) on the ground running the opposite direction.  We don't ground swat game birds.

In any event, the birds got away, the dog was in the game and I was tickled to learn we're still holding birds in the thicker cover.  That's good.

Ruby was pooped from the fresh air and exercise and slept most of the afternoon.

Meanwhile - get a load of that shadow.  One week away from the winter solstice people...

Antler Trophy

I've made one of these and it is not an easy task.  It's actually kind of ghastly.

Since, I found a neighbor near by who does these as a side gig.  Professionally-done.

$130

And worth every penny.

From deer camp this year is a European mount of Braumeister's buck...

Winter Fun

When I had a day job a significant number of my Wisconsin clients had beat it out of Dodge by this time of year.  If not, immediately following Christmas.  They lived here mostly on lakes and in northern Wisconsin three seasons out of the year and by the time winter rolled-around they had vamoosed for warmer latitudes.

Not this retired guy.

When you have overcast skies, fresh snow and 26 degrees Fahrenheit and can work with your dog in conditions like this who wants to be in Florida or Texas.  For gosh sakes, they have cockroaches as big as your hand, poisonous snakes, fire ants and termites in those places.  Yeech!

Life is good...

 

Real Soup

Last week I made soup.  Homemade potato soup.

Start a half-pound of smoke bacon - diced - and fry until brown.  

Assemble your taters (cut with skins on), stock and the drained bacon.

Sweat a chopped sweet onion along with a couple of minced garlic cloves in a bit of the bacon fat.

Add the potatoes and chicken stock, cover and simmer 40 minutes or until the taters are al dente.

Add your dairy and thicken with a slurry of corn or potato starch.  Add-back the bacon.

I scored a fistful of fresh chives from beneath the snow in the kitchen garden.  Cut those into the soup immediately before serving to add a wee bit of fresh brightness.

Good chow if you  can get it on a snowy-wet, dank day.  Serve by fireside and Sunday football.....

December Night Sky

New moon tonight and without moonlight the extra dark skies make for optimal conditions for stargazers.  

Fingers-crossed for clear, cold and cloudless conditions to watch the Geminid meteors.

View west this morning just before sunrise.

 

European Militaries Lag

From time to time I talk about military world events here.  That's what armchair generals do.  Besides, anyone with half a brain is entitled to an opinion about world events. This news interests me a great deal considering the world is a dangerous place.

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that some of Europe's best known armed forces are paper tigers.  

The United Kingdom is home to only about 150 deployable tanks along with maybe as many as a dozen long-range artillery pieces.  If you can believe it, the Brits considered sourcing multiple rocket launchers from museums to upgrade and donate to Ukraine; an idea that was promptly abandoned.

France, a bigger spender, had less than 90 heavy artillery pieces; the equivalent to what Russia loses each and every month on the Ukraine battlefield.  

Denmark has no heavy artillery, submarines or air-defense systems.

Germany's army has an inventory of ammunition sufficient for two days of battle. 

All of this is evidence of the deplorable readiness of Europe's armies and dependence on the US for home defense.

To be clear, this is only one publication's summation and not all NATO members are created equal.  In aggregate, NATO forces are considered technologically superior to Russia. although NATO's ability to engage successfully in joint operations is untested.  The Ukraine conflict is evidence that a smaller, better managed force can give the Russians fits.

If Western European nations aren't willing to spend sufficiently to defend themselves, why should we?  Looks like Donald Trump was on to something when he leaned on NATO members who were not living up to their minimum 2% of GDP defense authorization commitment.

Anyway, read the entire article, linked above, for full context.  This is likely ground-shaking enough that you can find a public link to the story that gets you past the paywall.