The Oriole Cam

Backyard bird report.

It would appear that the redwing blackbirds have left for the season.  Same for the tree swallows.  Off to southern coastal states, Mexico and Central America.  Jill spotted bluebirds in the bird bath.  The robins continue picking-about in the yard.  Cardinals, kingbirds, hummers and goldfinches are everywhere, warblers are passing-thru. It's been the best year in memory for indigo buntings, purple finches and orchard orioles.  And with all the dead and dying ash on the landscape woodpeckers rule the world around here.

The orioles are still hanging-around but they're not long for this neighborhood and will be departing before too long.  And the porch camera will likely be redeployed somewhere in the woods.

Meanwhile, the grape jelly has been removed as it's been attracting bald-faced hornets; and those buggers are sociopaths.

Last batch of photos.....

 

   

Death To The Queen

This is my wasp trap.

A wasp trap designed to attract, trap and drown the queen of yellow-jacket wasp kingdom. 

Unlike honeybees (Apis mellifera), who over-winter as an entire colony containing thousands of individual bees, yellow jacket wasps do not over-winter in a colony.  It is only the mated yellow jacket queen who survives to establish a new colony of these nasty insects.  The queen hibernates in a protected location to emerge in the spring to start a new nest site.

Yellow jacket wasps are bastards.  This is why their taxonomy is Vespula vulgaris. 

As the spring temperatures warm-up enough for the queen to emerge from her long winter slumber trapping and slaying the yellow jacket queen is an exceedingly efficient means of putting the hurt on the bastard wasp population around your home.  For every queen trapped and killed in the spring there will be one to five thousand fewer bastard yellow jackets during the summer and into the fall.  

Lest there be no misunderstanding – I hate yellow jacket wasps.  They will sting you for absolutely no reason.

They are the sociopaths of the insect world.

Death to the queen.

Menace

Today is General Mark Milley's last day as our nation's highest-ranking military officer; and it would appear that he'll have to ramp-up his security detail as he heads out the door.

At least that is what can be gleaned from Milley's appearance on 60 Minutes a couple of days ago where he was asked about former President Trump's comments accusing him of treason and suggesting that he be executed.

Milley's response:  I wish those comments had not been made and I'll take appropriate measures to ensure my safety and the safety of my family. 

Just my opinion, but it appears to me that the former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman was fulfilling his oath of allegiance to the constitution.  At least we'll know where to place the blame if some nut job member of Trump's personality cult makes an attempt on the general's life.

This goes beyond Trump just being Trump.  The former president is menace to law and order and his reckless rhetoric not only places someone in danger.  Furthermore, it is an insult to those who serve in the military.  The silence of his followers when he suggests that a top-ranking military officer be put to death speaks volumes.

Death To The Queen

I heard there was some sort of coronation on the other side of the pond this past weekend.  I don't pay much attention to other country's royalty as there's enough to handle here with the drama queens that inhabit my own country's political circles.  So I restrict my dealings with queens with this.

A wasp trap designed to attract, trap and drown the queen of yellow-jacket wasp kingdom. 

Unlike honeybees (Apis mellifera), who over-winter as an entire colony containing thousands of individual bees, yellow jacket wasps do not over-winter in a colony.  It is only the mated yellow jacket queen who survives to establish a new colony of these nasty insects.  The queen hibernates in a protected location to emerge in the spring to start a new nest site.

Yellow jacket wasps are bastards.  This is why their taxonomy is Vespula vulgaris. 

As the spring temperatures warm-up enough for the queen to emerge from her long winter slumber trapping and slaying the yellow jacket queen is an exceedingly efficient means of putting the hurt on the bastard wasp population around your home.  For every queen trapped and killed in the spring there will be one to five thousand fewer bastard yellow jackets during the summer and into the fall.  

Lest there be no misunderstanding – I hate yellow jacket wasps.  They will sting you for absolutely no reason.

They are the sociopaths of the insect world.

Death to the queen.

Quote Of The Day

Well, I see good things about Hitler… I love everyone, and Jewish people are not gonna tell me ‘You can love us and you know what we’re doing to you with the contracts, what we’re pushing with the pornography.’ 

But this guy that invented highways, invented the very microphone I use as a musician.  You can't say out loud that this person ever did anything good and I'm done with that.  I'm done with classifications.  Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler.

- Kanye West

 

Putin Is A Dick

Anybody who knows me would know that 95% of my T-shirt inventory is comprised of bike ride shirts. 

Not this. 

I wasn’t particularly thinking about it when we stopped at the Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market this morning when all of a sudden total strangers all over came up to me to compliment and share their approval.  Same for folks at the grocery store. 

There are plenty of descriptors for Old Vlad that are inappropriate around children and social media. Nevertheless, there seems to be near universal agreement that Putin Is A Dick.

 

Available from Lakefront Brewery

 

More From the Trump-Putin Caucus

Just about the time you think that the Trump-Putin wing of the GOP would run out of gas something else pops-up from MAGA World.

Seriously, it's like bad fungus sprouting overnight on a rotten stump.

I’m further, I think, than he (Trump) is on the issue of NATO. He demanded that the partners pay their share. I would withdraw us from NATO. It’s a Cold War relic. Our involvement should have ceased when the [Berlin] wall fell and the Soviet Union collapsed.

 -Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)

Just like Donald Trump, Massie is a fond admirer and supporter of Vladimir Putin.  

 

Consider this:

 

He was the sole congressional vote against condemning Putin's annexation of Crimea. 

 

In Massie's view that we should withdraw from NATO. 

 

He also wants us to withdraw from the United Nations.

Massie's refusal to support nations defending themselves against Russian invaders does not reflect a pacifist viewpoint. 

 

Twitter

 

He has expressed dismay at the terrible persecution of Marina Butina.

 

A couple of weeks ago the House voted to pass a bill denouncing rising antisemitism.  Massie was the only lawmaker to vote against it.  It's pretty unusual for a lawmaker to vote no on a noncontroversial, nonbinding resolution.  Oh, I forgot.  He is also an anti-Israel holocaust denier.

Hatred-aside, he's just an anti-democracy malcontent.  He refused to support a Congressional commendation for the law enforcement officers who protected his life, and refusing to vote for a measure reaffirming commitment to a peaceful transfer of power.

When you peel the onion the Trump-Putin caucus is fundamentally an anti-democracy caucus.  It is a pro-authoritarian caucus. Calling these people "isolationist" is missing the point entirely.  It is a pro-Putin caucus.

 

How some elements of the Republican Party devolved to this level sure has me flummoxed.  They actually admire and support Soviet war criminals who commit barbaric acts of rape, torture and murder upon civilian noncombatants.

How did these sociopaths get so nutty in my lifetime?

It sure isn't the Party of Reagan any longer...

Trump-Putin Caucus Afternoon Update

In further news there is this:

Russia announced today that it has banned 963 Americans from entering Russia — a largely symbolic move featuring a wide-ranging collection of Biden administration members, Republicans, tech executives, journalists, lawmakers who have died, regular U.S. citizens and even actor Morgan Freeman - and would continue to retaliate against what it called hostile U.S. actions.

Curiously, Donald Trump is not on the list.  

Chalk that-up to the ongoing Putin-Trump Bromance. 

Then the Tump-Putin Caucus got the finger from the senate minority leader.

Mitch McConnell returned to Washington this week following a rare overseas trip that included additional Senate GOP leadership determined to stomp the isolationist wing that is poisoning the Republican party.

The Republican leader is determined to stamp out a pro-Trump wing of his party that has pushed back on $40 billion in aid to Ukraine.

I am encouraged.

Body Count

As the barbarity of Russian war crimes and atrocities continues to be revealed to a civilized world the Trump-Putin Wing of the GOP has become slightly less strident in their support for their Soviet Savior.

Why do you suppose this is?

Has it simply become more difficult to rationalize the looting, rape and horrific noncombatant death toll to a rational audience?

Maybe it makes polite individuals uncomfortable?

No need to over-analyze these sociopaths; the Trump-Putin apologists are basically loud-mouth cowards.

For instance an intellectual MAGA heavyweight had this to say...

“So far, Putin hasn’t killed as many people as the Clintons.”

Jesse Kelly, Jesse Kelly Show

February 2022  ·  Quote Source 

 

I am amazed that MAGA world still falls for this bullshit.  

 

I won't hold my breath for a Trumper to point me to the location of the Clinton mass graves....

 

Trump-Putin Wing of the GOP

Only 5 percent of Republicans support Russia over Ukraine.  Fortunately it is a minority.  I can only hope it is a shrinking minority.  Nevertheless, the Trump-Putin wing of the GOP has continually sided with Putin and against Ukraine.

From MAGA land there is a near limitless supply of this...

Putin is a very strong leader. He’s been in charge for a long time. And he’s not going to put up with the nonsense he’s seeing in Europe.

 

Mike Flynn, former Trump National Security Advisor

February 2022  ·  Quote Source

With friends like this who needs enemies?

Traitor?

From MAGA World and the Trump-Putin wing of the GOP the madness persists....

I wish Putin was president of America.

Nick Fuentes, America First Political Action Conference

February 2022  ·  Quote Source 

 

I don't know if this guy was born an imbecile or if he's been eating lead paint chips from an old house.  

 

What we know for sure is that in MAGA world and the Trump-Putin wing of the GOP Russian war criminals are idolized. 

In my basically normal world view if Fuentes isn't a traitor he's been brainwashed.

 

Or maybe a garden variety sociopath.

 

Maybe all of the above....

GOP Kremlin Apologists

The GOP that I associated myself with for more than four decades no longer has a place for me.  

Translation:  If you do not demonstrate sufficient fealty and obeisance to the Orange Man Child there is no room for you.  You have no role.  Exile is your fate. 

Blind obedience is what passes for Republicanism nowadays.

 From MAGA World and the Trump-Putin wing of the GOP there is this...

Putin is taking over a country for two dollars worth of sanctions. I’d say that’s pretty smart.

Donald Trump

February 2022  ·  Quote Source 

 

 

 

As a candidate, president and ex-president, Trump has repeatedly gushed over Putin. Praising him for being "strong,” “savvy” and “genius.” Trump has also echoed Putin’s ideology, by harshly criticizing NATO.  He suggested that in his second term of office he would withdraw the US from the NATO alliance.

 

Just the other day Trump criticized NATO and dodged Russia's 'evil' actions on Fox News.

Conspicuously, Trump has not denounced nor condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

 

Crickets.

 

The quote in this post and Trump's passive-aggressive dance with friendly Fox media speaks volumes.  I don't know about you but I find this approbation and adulation of a vile and murderous war criminal disturbing.

Maybe some of the inhabitants of MAGA world have an affinity for the conduct of Russia in their unprovoked aggression against Ukraine?

The butchery of thousands of civilians and flattening of Mariupol. This is the Russian way of war. 

The gruesome discoveries in Bucha, Troyanets, and other Kyiv suburbs newly freed from Russian occupation have shifted the discourse on Russia’s war in Ukraine, putting the focus on Russian atrocities against the civilian population.

The horrific photos and videos - bodies buried in mass graves or lying by the roadside, some victims with hands tied execution-style behind their backs - have been seen around the world and have shocked the conscience of everyone except the habitual Kremlin apologists and the Trump-Putin wing of the GOP.

Gosh, I hope this continues to remain a shrinking minority of individuals. Maybe some day the fever will break.  Who knows?  But I digress.

This is how Putin’s forces fought in Chechnya and Syria — and before that, how Soviet forces fought in Afghanistan and in central Europe during World War II. 

They commit war crimes to terrorize the noncombatant civilian population into surrender.  Barbarity is embedded in their DNA.

Not a bit of this comes as a surprise to this blogger.  I expected it as it was entirely predictable.

And so far it hasn’t worked in Ukraine. 

Russia’s savagery has simply caused the Ukrainians to resist all the harder because they know they are fighting not just for their freedom but for their very survival.

I am reminded of a subjugated collection of colonies throwing-off the yoke of tyranny two and a half centuries ago.

It sure isn't my daddy's GOP anymore.

Sociopaths the Putin apologists are.

All of them.

The Trouble With Nazis

Godwin's law, short for Godwin's law (or rule) of Nazi analogies,is an Internet adage asserting that as an online discussion grows longer (regardless of topic or scope), the probability of a comparison to Nazis or Adolf Hitler increases to near certainty.

I have some trouble with individuals flippantly making Nazi analogies.  Or associating those who behave badly with Nazis.  Fundamentally, it is lazy thinking.  A cop-out.  Not every bad actor is necessarily a Nazi.  Nevertheless, it hasn't stopped congresswoman, thinker of lazy thoughts and championship Trump supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene.

From MAGA land and the Trump-Putin wing of the GOP there is this:

NATO has been supplying the neo-Nazis in Ukraine with powerful weapons and extensive training on how to use them. What the hell is going with these #NATONazis?

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)

March 2022  ·  Quote Source

Greene, Trump, Putin and their Kremlin apologists call for the deNazification of Ukraine -- and ironically advocate Nazi-like methods to do so. 

 

Russia has applied such methods in Mariupol and Bucha.  War crimes like rape, torture, murder and the indiscriminate slaughter of civilian noncombatants to terrorize the population into submission.

 

Perhaps Greene and Trump need to be mindful that Putin's mind works like this - every Ukrainian who has taken up arms against Russia's aggression must be eliminated.  

 

Rubbed-out.  

 

By definition, the Soviet de-Nazification campaign means the destruction of the idea of Ukraine and its national identity.  It calls for the elimination of the country’s political elite and the infliction of all of the horrors of war on Ukraine “as a historical lesson and atonement for their guilt.”

 

As a consequence should not Greene, Trump and Putin be wary of channeling Nazi analogies?

 

Not surprisingly Nazi's are sociopaths.

 

All of them....

Tucker Rhymes With?

Answer:  Sucker.

The thing about the Trump-Putin wing of the GOP is that the supply of material is virtually endless.

These Kremlin apologists have their noses so far up the back sides of Trump and Putin it isn't funny.

Not that it was funny from the get-go.

I'd never put my nose there.  Gross!  Of course, I haven't demonstrated anywhere near sufficient obeisance, fealty and humiliation before the Orange God King either.  I don't worship false idols.  But I digress.

Consider this...

I think we should probably take the side of Russia, if we have to choose between Russia and Ukraine.

Tucker Carlson, FOX News

December 2019  ·  Quote Source 

 

Yeah.  Old quote, old news.  Yet just like Donald Trump he hasn't changed his tune either.

 

This guy is nothing more than a tired, Russian propaganda mouthpiece.  Putin's useful idiot.

 

The rapes at gunpoint, murder of civilian noncombatants, looting and other war crimes have made it more cumbersome to self-identify with the Trump-Putin wing of the GOP.  Nevertheless, there is no shortage of Republicans who feel an affinity for the Russian president.

 

It's a crazy, mixed-up world for sure.

 

And it isn't the GOP I used to included-in.

 

 

Pro-Putin Republicans

From MAGA World and the Trump-Putin wing of the GOP there is this...

Every American who wants to know what’s *actually* going on in Russia and Ukraine, read this transcript of Putin’s address…WE are at fault.

Candace Owens, Daily Wire

February 2022  ·  Quote Source 

 

The Soviets engage in the destruction of entire cities, intentional targeting of civilian noncombatants, rape, looting, murder, an entire breakdown of command, control and discipline.  In MAGA world this is our fault.

 

Sociopaths.

 

All of them. 

Sociopaths

 

That's the strongest peace force I've ever seen.  There were more army tanks than I've ever seen. They're gonna keep peace all right.

Putin is now saying, 'It’s independent,' a large section of Ukraine. I said, 'How smart is that?' And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper... We could use that on our southern border.  Here’s a guy who’s very savvy.

This is genius.

                                                                   - Donald Trump 

Having more than a month to shell unarmed civilian populations and reduce their cities and homes to rubble the Soviets now abandon their own dead to retreat, regroup and rearm.

They left their comrades to rot while they looted people’s homes and businesses. 

 

Yes, these lowlife abandon their own dead.

They have murdered bound civilians with a single shot to the back of the head. 

 

Including the murder of children.

They mine and booby-trap Ukrainian dead to kill and maim first responders and aid workers.

The rules of war:

• No targeting of civilians

• No torture or inhumane treatment of detainees

• No attacking hospitals and aid workers

• Provide safe passages for civilian non-combatants to flee

• Provide access to humanitarian organizations

• No unnecessary or excessive loss and suffering

Having violated every single rule of warfare it appears these Russian barbarians have demonstrated that cruelty and depravity is embedded in their DNA.

These ruthless communist savages do not belong in the G-20 or any other civilized global community.

Beyond appalling. 

 

No words. 

 

Scum. 

 

Isolate this godless country completely. 

To my Putin and Trump apologists I have this to say: 

Putin and Trump are board-certified sociopaths.

 

Disagree? 

 

Feel free to use the comments to explain to the vast interweb your approval of this aggression. And for any of you who outwardly wrap yourselves in Jesus you should share with all of us what article of your faith calls for the support of war crimes.

Limp Shooter

This cartoon should get a little extra attention as Putin has banned it in Russia.... 

 

Tactics

Things in Putin World continue to deteriorate. 

Last week there were arrests in the Fifth Directorate. 

 

This week there is continued turmoil in the upper ranks of Putin’s government.

Now it's official - Kommersant confirmed Gavrilov resigned (his detention is yet to be confirmed). Putin humiliated the director of the SVR, placed two FSB generals under house arrest and had Zolotov, the National Guard, to fire his deputy -- in the first three weeks of the war. 

Three independent sources report that the deputy chief of Russia's Rosgvardia (a unit of RU's interior army which has had tremendous losses in Ukraine), General Roman Gavrilov has been detained by FSB.  Gavrilov had also previously worked in FSO, Putin's security service.

Arresting generals is not a sign of either stability or strength.

And in further news spring arrives tomorrow - both here and in Ukraine.

Yes, spring. 

And as the frost goes out of the ground the vaunted Soviet mechanized conscript mob will be confined to paved roads.

The killers of civilian non-combatants and children will become targets of opportunity. 

I’m just a retired financial guy but none of this strikes me as rocket science. 

WTF was the Dick Head thinking?

 

Original Sin

Reported this morning in the Wall Street Journal there is this:

Hungry and undisciplined Russian troops shooting unarmed villagers, breaking into supermarkets and shops, and raiding homes in search of food and valuables as their own supply lines have failed.

Don't take my word for it.  You can find security camera footage of Soviet troops looting grocery stores on the web. 

 

This is interesting to me on several levels.

First, the vaunted Russian military is nothing more than an undisciplined conscript mob.  This fact is not lost on the professional western military.  Of course they do have the unqualified admiration and support of Fox and Russian State Media personality Tucker Carlson.

Second, half of my friends (give or take) are Trump supporters.  With only two three solitary exceptions - yes, only two three - of the remainder, not a single one of those souls has spoken a word of condemnation of the actions of Putin's army of murderous thugs and the obscene invasion of a sovereign nation.  

Crickets.  

Perhaps they too believe that Putin's actions are, in Trump's own words, genius.  Their silence on the subject speaks volumes.  And it is troubling. 

And their tacit acceptance of this vulgar assault is their Original Sin.

Ukraine

 With Rootin' Tootin' Putin rattling his sabre in eastern Europe this comes to mind...