Ukraine Starting Over

Perhaps it's interesting,  for those of us not overly distracted by the day to day news cycle, how activities like trout fishing and the ominous Geopolitics of Nuclear Weapons Programs can intersect: There is a  fishing and water sharing story,  behind this photo taken in 2015, about this time of year in the Sumy Region, at Ukraine's  Border, still fairly peacefully shared,  with the Russian Federation, stretching Eastward 6 or 7 time zones clear  to the Tumen River where China, Russia, and North Korea share the oddest Border zone I can possibly think of,  anywhere in the world . Often times, it seems to me,  that the many complicated things, relating to War and Peace, can  be outlined, white boarded as some parable for something like Trout Fishing.  Firstly, we all want that calming pleasure of going to the lake, the river, the pond to bait a hook, cast a line and catch a beautiful trout, take that bucket of fish and have a tasty, nutritious dinner cooked on the open fi

I had an interesting, and really for me, somewhat odd visit to Ukraine. For one thing,  I was never able to check the pulse of the Metro  users, as it seemed to be, that mostly, they were checking mine. As they continue to examine the worth of the gift baskets, from various Nations, States, Economic groups, associations: of course they have doubts, questions,  of what they have got, at them. They are still locked,  in an arduous difficult, nagging war , with a strategically overwhelming opponent. An opponent with vast land and mineral resources, vast energy resources and a massive and very effective Nuclear arsenal that can easily be deployed against them. It's simply a situation of outright defiance.  Mister Putin's politics has some traction, a vague traction within the refugee community in Ukraine's capitol and a few places, that diaspora within their territory is , in my opinion waning, not waxing, as the current moon cycle grows. As they (Ukraine ) continue to sacr