The Death of Navalny

I’m honestly surprised it took this long. My bet was sooner during a change of prison. If you believe that he was taking a walk and just collapsed out of the blue, I’ve got some investment opportunities I’d love to discuss with you.

Officially, Russia does not have the death penalty. The days of a relatively clean bullet to the back of the head (see The Death of Nina in The Americans as that is accurate about how it was done) are gone. From what I hear today usually involves paid goons (prisoner or guards), and beatings that may include truncheons, pipes, etc. Somehow I doubt his family will get the body back, as an unmarked prison grave still works best for the people in charge.

I talked about Navalny and other opposition figures in this post. For all that he was not the pro-Western figure beloved of the Western left, he was in many ways the last major opposition to Vladimir and the current leadership. I also have to give him significant props for courage for going back, even knowing he would likely be killed for so doing.

I’m wondering if among other motives, the death of Navalny may possibly also be very cynical opportunism. Vladimir is going to (rightly in the ways that count) take the blame for his murder. Given some of the jockeying and in-fighting that is underway behind the scenes, however, I have to wonder if this was not done by one of the other factions. It puts Vladimir and the current leadership in a bad light internally (which is really what counts) and internationally (which really doesn’t count for much, but…) while they can quietly take credit for bold, decisive action. Given the recent window issues experienced by some current (or possibly former) Vladimir supporters, the game appears to be afoot.

That said, I also have to admit it could just be Vladimir on a schedule that makes sense from an internal Russian perspective, a la the death of Pringles. Or, it could be Vladimir saddling some up and coming competition with the act even as he takes the public blame. What can I say? It is so much fun trying to figure out what is going on not behind an Iron Curtain; but, rather behind the frosted-glass kaleidoscope in place to keep the public from truly seeing behind the scenes.

I have said a prayer for his soul, and note for the record that the fact that I don’t think he was the figure portrayed by Western liberals means in any way that he deserved to be murdered. He did not. Do I hope justice catches up to all involved/responsible at all levels? Yes. Beyond that, there’s not a lot to say. The pundits will roar and lionize, the opposition will demonize, and not much will change. Sorry, a bit cynical this morning and wondering if by the election we will have much room to talk.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Some Memories Of Russia

I’m not really sure what Tucker is up to, but his recent takes on Moscow and Russia in comparison to the U.S. have an odd ring to them. To be charitable.

Almost all my time in Russia was either in St. Petersburg or Moscow. I really wish time and circumstances had allowed me to see more. If it were possible to go back (it’s not), part of me would love to start in St. Petersburg and take the train all the way across the country. Stop and explore along the way, take lots of photos, and get to meet more of the people. On these photos, click to embiggen if you like.

My quick takes are perhaps dated, but here they go. I really enjoyed and liked St. Petersburg. In a perfect world, I could spend months there going through the museums and archives. I felt relatively safe there walking around, and it was comforting to know I had several ways out of Russia from there in an emergency. Had several offers to come back without a date, as they had a nice girl for me to meet and marry (grin, several people did not think much of my companion), and/or to come back in winter and take a sleigh ride.

Moscow did not feel as safe, particularly at night. I only really went out once at night, and it came close to ending in a less-than-positive manner. I will note that in St. Petersburg the word seemed to be out not to harm the tourists (like when the Mob ran Vegas). That was missing in Moscow.

And, yes, the stores and even some food courts were amazing. Of course, part of it was that even the Soviets realized the new buildings were crap and that it was much better to upgrade the old buildings that were well built.

It was a bit jarring, however, to eat at a fast food place shoehorned into the splendor, and that the native Russian with me assured me was the best Italian in Moscow. Cough.

I really thought I had a photo of one of Stalin’s show subway stations, but can’t find it. Pity, as it really was quite a show. If I remember correctly, there were several done in different styles (Deco, Nouveau, etc.) to show the class, grace, and modernity of the great Soviet state. Cough. Tourists were not generally allowed to travel to or through any other stations for some odd reason. Cough. Still lots of rumors (here and there) that Stalin had tunnels put under the Kremlin, both as an escape to distant airfields and to create bomb shelters.

Shakedowns, often by militia, police, etc., were the official big thing at the time. It was the way they had actually gotten additional money back in Soviet days, and was (I was told) how they got paid at the time of my visit. Apparently paychecks got held up a good bit, and I was treated to some amazing music as members (most?) of the Moscow Symphony were having to beg for money in the subway near the Kremlin as they hadn’t been paid in months.

The difference, at that time, was that if you were a tourist, the shakedowns in St. Petersburg tended not to get too physical (or so I was told), whereas Moscow you could easily end up in the hospital or worse. I got lucky in Moscow when accosted one night, talked fast, and engaged in an expedient change of location that got me clear. I did not run (that is not a good idea in such a situation) but I did move in a determined manner. I’m also glad they didn’t understand English as I may have muttered a few things under my breath while trying to talk my way out.

I will also admit that in St. Petersburg I had hired a driver and translator. To be honest, I chose that pair because they had worked with (but not for) the GRU and KGB during the Soviet era. Longer story there, but we did not have any problems or shakedowns during the time there. I used similar to get to and from the airport in Moscow, as kidnappings for ransom on that road were an issue at the time.

So, yes, there are places in Moscow and elsewhere that are absolutely gorgeous. There are places where, especially as a tourist (and most likely under open and covert watchful eyes), you are going to be safe. But, there are also no-go zones and other delights to go with the remains of Stalin’s show pieces. You might also want to look at average income, STD (and esp. HIV) rates, medical, and a few other critical things.

Glad I visited, not really interested in living there. If Tucker or anyone else is, all the best to them. They are going to need it.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

About That Intel Issue

That is so serious it is requiring multiple meetings, lots of SCIF briefings, and is apparently being leaked madly in the name of saving the Republic (cough, choke, wheeze). Oh, and is also being linked to crucial, crucial I say funding for Ukraine and is so important no money can be wasted on our borders… Sigh.

For now, color me skeptical, unimpressed, and needing jusssssst a touch more info (/end Harry Doyle/Bob Uecker voice) to be convinced. Right now, the bookmakers are putting good odds on it being the Russians, in the library with a candlestick, er, in space with nukes.

Okay, I’ll bite. One, nukes are about the only credible threat Russia has right now, and even it is a bit wobbly in my opinion. I still subscribe to my ‘tyranny of the 20 percent’ concept in which I think they (or us) will be lucky to get 20 percent of the weapons and/or weapons systems to work. Just look at how well Nikita’s, er, Vladimir’s demo launch worked during Biden’s visit to Ukraine.

For as much as I am NOT a fan of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, and would like to see us either re-negotiate the majority in light of commercial operations or withdraw from them, there are some interesting and needed weapons provisions that I think are good things even though I’m also more than a little suspicious that China (1983 signatory I think) is well on its way to scrapping some key lunar and orbital points. For that matter, I’m pretty sure Russia has already violated it a time or two (but that’s true for pretty much every treaty they have signed).

Until there is more information, there’s not a lot that can be said — which is not going to stop the grifters and pundits from putting forth thousands of empty words. I’m going to wait and see what comes out other than leaks, then offer some analysis and thoughts. Until then, just consider my cynicism as a given.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Dry Stock Preparedness And Quick Thoughts

I’ve not gotten a lot done the last two to three weeks, but I did get one truly constructive thing done. Before we get into that, some quick thoughts I can’t remember if I covered in Preparedness Pays, but need to add if I didn’t.

Disaster preparedness should NOT be overwhelming. Yes, the potential number of disasters is indeed an infinity-minus-one situation. However, there are only four things that can truly happen to you in the event of one or more happening at once. Also, remember that “emergencies” come in just three flavors: inconvenience, emergency, and disaster.

If you have a basic level of preparedness, it automatically puts most “emergencies” into the inconvenience category. By basic, I mean the ability to provide light, water, heat, food, etc. when faced with a temporary loss of services. It means things like flashlights, candles, water-on-hand, canned or frozen food, means of heating food or a room, and similar things.

Power goes out for up to 24-hours, ho-hum. You have flashlights, a camp stove, and backup power for cell phone, laptop, etc. Water goes out for same, you have water to rinse the soap off in the shower, drink, cook, and even clean a bit at need. And, well, you get the drift. What would otherwise be an emergency is reduced to an inconvenience.

Where it gets fun is where things move from an inconvenience to an emergency or a disaster. In that case, you need to have food stocks above and beyond being prepared for a few days to a couple of weeks. This is where dried foods come in to play.

What you are looking at is up to a month’s worth of food or food augmentation in the event of things going truly sideways into emergency or disaster. Yes, I do mean weeks, as if it slides into full emergency or disaster status you best be rationing.

I am playing with the concept a bit, as this is a general kit really designed for augmentation of limited rations. It features two quart jars of all-purpose flour, one quart of iodized salt, two quarts of dried beans, two quarts of enriched rice (remember, rice plus beans equals effective complete protein), two quarts of quinoa (a complete protein on its own), one quart of green lentils, one quart of oats, and one quart of white sugar. In a major disaster, it will get several people by for several weeks.

When you add in canned meats, vegetables, and fats, you have a month of rationed nutrition for several people. Seriously, add in a small tub of lard, canned meat, and some canned vegetables, and you have a variety of tasty options for very nutritious meals. Add in a shelf-stable jar of ghee, and the oats become very nutritious oatmeal for breakfast. Remember that in emergencies/disasters it is not just the absence of food, but the absence of the right type of foods that poses the largest threat.

Fats are one of the hardest things to get when in a survival situation. I very much remember being told that six large moths a day would give you the minimum amount of fat needed for survival. Moths are amazing creatures, however dusty is a word that comes to mind and not-tasty also pops to mind. Emergencies and disasters DO NOT need to be survival situations in terms of food. If you think and plan ahead, you can put that off a good while.

One thing I will strongly recommend is to have some canned salmon as part of your canned meats. Salmon is a great source for a variety of oils that are critical to the body, including the eyes. Yes, tuna has some of the same, but it takes more tuna to equal the content of the salmon.

But, back to the dried foods. Stored properly, dried foods can last for ten to twenty years. There are those who promote low-temperature canning in the oven to preserve them. The idea is that the low temperature of 200 degrees will kill any insect eggs/larvae in the dried products, along with harmful pathogens, without damaging the dry goods. There are as many (if not more) who disagree.

I got curious and did an experiment. I then talked with some people who know a thing or two about food preservation (and at least one has the certifications to go with same). Short version is that I have to come down on the side of those who say not to do the oven canning. It stresses the jars, it stresses the contents, and it does not guarantee proper canning of the materials.

So, since my seal-a-meal system is in storage, I checked out something else. A rechargeable, hand-held jar vacuum sealer.

It uses fairly standard connectors, which means you should be able to recharge it using the same systems used for your cell phones and other electronics in an emergency. It also gives you the ability to re-seal at least some jars and foods in an emergency or disaster, which can be a distinct plus.

For me, the drawbacks to these systems boil down to two things: not being sure they are as powerful as a good counter-top system and the lack of data. The handhelds (sold under several brand names) do not give much data, so you have no idea of how much vacuum you have established. In my case, to be safe, I used 500cc oxygen absorbers in the jars to be safe. It seems like a strong seal/vacuum, but in the absence of data I prefer to err on the side of caution. On the whole, however, recommended.

CAVEAT EMPTOR DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER CAVEAT EMPTOR

Neither the government nor anyone else considers oven canning or vacuum sealing to be proper canning. In doing either you run the risk of mold, mildew, botulism, and other delights. There are websites that will take this into extreme detail if you are interested. You need to keep an eye on things and anytime lids are trying to pop, bulging, etc., skip it. I look for signs of discoloration or growth as well.

/END CAVEAT EMPTOR

That now said, if you sterilize your jars and do all the things as you should be doing, I see the risk as low for vacuum sealing. Me, I want to continue to play with this a bit and put together some specialty packages, such as a baking package with different flours, baking soda, cocoa powder, etc. Maybe do a breakfast package of grits, oats, and other things that will make a good solid breakfast. I also want to play with various spices, whole primarily, in jelly jars for both portion control and for trade. If you hit the Indian/Asian markets, you can get an amazing array of whole spices as well as some ground that may (repeat, MAY) do well with vacuum sealing.

I’m also planning to seal some basic pasta (water/flour only types) and similar items. Such items allow you to augment and expand food so that not only is nutrition satisfied, so is hunger. It’s a way to bulk up without having to store a lot of bulk.

Also, when you buy the jars, buy extra lids at the same time. This gives you a way to use the jars multiple times, and to do real canning at need even in an emergency or a disaster.

Before I forget, it’s a great idea to stock away some raw local honey. The great thing about honey, especially raw, is that if it hasn’t been adulterated, it lasts not for hundreds of years, but even thousands. Honey in various tombs and other sites that are thousands of years old is still edible and nutritious. Honey has medicinal and other uses (amazing preservative used in early jerky) as well. I will just note that a few gallon jars can go a long way and last one heck of a long time.

I will admit to one benefit from this little experiment. I had left-over beans, lentils, etc., so I threw them into a pot with some bone/other stock. I then cut-up and threw in some kielbasa I found that had no added sugar, corn syrup, or other crap. I’ve now got several containers of delicious soup/stew in the freezer.

So, I will continue to experiment and put away as much dry food as I can. Dry foods will need water, which I continue to see as the key item for all scenarios. I really do want to upgrade my water purification systems, as well as to find ways to upgrade my water-on-hand.

Remember, preparedness pays (always!). Keep your things where you can find them in the dark, and be prepared.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Back, Sorta

Didn’t mean to be gone this long, but the body and I have been arguing a bit the last two-plus weeks. Been glad just to make it to Church. Sunday saw me get a bit of a boost courtesy of a young man who has now hit 17 pounds, who joined me in going up to venerate the cross and receive some blessed bread. Bit of juggling, but we both were blessed by the priest (who seemed highly amused), though afterwards I did get my mustache tugged for the first time ever.

To be honest, I saw him reach up and was making a mental bet if he was going to go for the glasses or the moustache. A couple of fairly gentle tugs and he got distracted by all that was going on. The new shoulders handled things well, so all was good.

One of the things I enjoy about the Church I’ve been attending is the children and the reaction to small children. The older teenage girls often all but kidnap the babies at the start of service, and the older ladies more or less demand their turn as well. When a newborn came for the first time a few weeks ago, the line-up by the women was almost scary, and none of the men dared get between them and the newborn. Not even the dad. 🙂 Everyone more or less rides herd on the toddlers and somewhat older, though the grandmothers seem to take pride of place in such.

May finally be on track to get with the cardiologist I want to see. If that happens and all goes well, strongly considering switching over. Not happy that it was more than two weeks before my primary care physician’s office got back to me. Getting rumors that there may be some issues there, and noticed that his reviews have taken a bit of a nosedive of late. Looking into other possibilities just to be safe. With the new cardiologist, hoping to get a second opinion on everything, and to deal with the “mystery” diagnosis from the last hospital stay. Still can’t get anyone to tell me where that came from…

More soon. Did manage a small experiment in regards preparedness, and have made a note that I need to discuss the three types of “emergency”: inconvenience, emergency, disaster. For all that I’ve got what can happen down to four basic things, not sure I’ve discussed that the proper level of preparedness hinges on what level of emergency you face.

With luck, will get up the experiment later today or tomorrow. Your patience is appreciated.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

A Bit Conflicted

Today was a milestone. Today was my currently last schedule PT appointment.

May not seem like something, but for the last eight months I’ve been doing physical therapy two- to three-times a week. We have made tremendous progress on restoring range of motion and strength to my shoulders (and arms/chest). My range of motion is so much better than it was that it’s not funny.

I have more visits approved, but there are two big considerations in play. One is getting the most out of those visits. Right now, looks like the best way to do that is to hit the gym at least three times a week and keep doing things at home on the days I don’t. Push for a month or two, go back for testing and measurements, refine, lather, rinse, repeat.

The other consideration is that I may require PT for other issues, and there is no guarantee that such will be approved right now because of politics. Short version is that Indiana Gov. Petri Dish pushed a major expansion on state coverage of care providers for children and adults, promising it was forever. The program, of course, cost more than planned and required funds from the slush fund to help cover. Can’t have that, the vote buying was for the last election, not this one, so a number of people are hearing the usual from the Gov: Sucks to be you.

Problem is, insurance companies are taking note and wondering if there will be other cuts, state or federal, and are being cautious. This includes being cautious about things like physical therapy which may, or may not, be reimbursed by government. If the government doesn’t pay for some it has been, those costs have to be covered somehow, so…

We are banking the visits I have left just in case there are issues getting new visits approved. There really shouldn’t be a problem, but why take chances.

That said, it already feels weird knowing I’m not headed back next Monday or Tuesday. It feels weird knowing I’m not going to be joking with my regular physical therapist, talking food and music with B-man, teasing D about a rabbit beating her up even as she swears it was a bear and she came out the winner, and laughing with the others at the goings on. When people are a part of your life for eight or more months…

Who knows what is to come. One thing I do know is that I want to hit the gym next week, and do right so that when I do go back, I can show that the progress we have made together has been continued. Forward!

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.