What Were They Thinking?

Russian troops sickened after being exposed to radiation at Chernobyl site

Russian troops were exposed to “significant doses” of radiation from digging trenches around the Chernobyl nuclear plant and have left the highly contaminated site, Ukraine’s state power company said Thursday.

Energoatom said the Russians had dug in the forest inside the exclusion zone around the now-closed plant, site in 1986 of the world’s worst nuclear disaster. The troops “panicked at the first sign of illness,” which “showed up very quickly,” and began to prepare to leave, said Energoatom, which did not provide information on the soldiers' condition.

Russian forces seized the Chernobyl site early in the invasion that began Feb. 24, raising fears that they would cause damage or disruption that could spread radiation.

On Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Ukrainian officials informed it that the Russian forces who were in control of the plant have “in writing, transferred control” of the facility to Ukrainian personnel.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russia-pulling-back-to-resupply-us-says-expect-even-more-suffering-in-ukraine-nato-chief-warns-live-updates/ar-AAVHwkn?rt=0&ocid=Win10NewsApp&referrerID=InAppShare

When the Russians first occupied Chernobyl early on, I wondered what they expected to do with it.  I can understand why they would want to take that other nuclear power plant, which is actively producing electricity, but I didn't understand what they wanted Chernobyl for.  It now seems that the Russians themselves didn't know what they wanted it for.  They were digging trenches around it, presumably for defense.  Who did they think they would have to defend it against?  

Then there's those generals.  The Russians had about two dozen generals in Ukraine before Ukrainian snipers took out seven of them.  Each one of those generals were either commanders or deputy commanders of their individual units, but there was no one general in charge of the whole operation.  Apparently each general reports directly to Putin, and they don't communicate with each other.  

And what about the reports that numerous Russian soldiers have been incapacitated by frostbite?  I find it hard to believe that Russians wouldn't know how to deal with cold weather.  I mean, it frequently snows on their May Day Parade, and the VIPs in the reviewing stand look quite comfortable in their big winter coats.  Maybe, because the climate in Ukraine is a little warmer than in Moscow, the soldiers thought they could take off their shirts and get a suntan while they were stalled for weeks on the road to Kyiv.  

The Oscars

 For years I have had my triumvirate of lady singers, Emmylou Harris, who is the honor student, Lucinda Williams who is always in detention, and Nanci Griffith who was the girl next door who was a bit dreamy and had a way with words.

Wrong again on Johnny Cash, I don't know what to say, those songs always just sounded so much like him.  Had to check to see if he wrote Man in Black.  

I don't know what to say.  Years ago I was in a tavern in Champaign and a song came on and I went on and on to the guy on the next bar stool, about how much I liked Roy Orbison and how interesting it was that he stuck with those old rock and roll love ballads through most of his career, and so on and so on.  Finally the guy stopped me and told me that was all well and good, but that was Elvis Presley on the jukebox.

I remember at the Ten Cat when Old Dog would speak of how he always thought he would have been a pretty good unicyclist, and once again how he bruised the owner's oranges showing off his juggling ability.  But harmonica, yeah I can see it.  You go guy.

So thankfully The Institute has not been sullied with mention of The Slap, but I am afraid I am about to ruin that.  First of all, as a guy who does a little improv I can see where Kevin might have reached too far for an edgy joke, but that was no excuse for slapping him, but Will has apologized so maybe they can exact some small penalty on him and then we can all go back to our unglamorous lives and carry on.

I like movies but I never watch the Oscars.  It doesn't mean anything, like that Baseball Hall of Fame thing.  It doesn't mean that you are the best, it's just what some group of people voted for on a certain day.  If it was raining maybe they would have voted differently.  Nothing to get your panties into a bunch over.

And a day or two before the affair there was Sean Penn in Ukraine, or more likely one of the bordering countries, telling the CNN talking heads that they should definitely have Zalenskyy phone into the Academy Awards, because ,you know, it is the most important thing going on in the world.  He was threatening to melt down his Oscars (Oh please Sean don't do that) if Zalenskyy did not make his appearance.  At this point I don't know if they are still standing tall or if they are just puddles on the shelf.

Okay, just now, doing some fact-checking, which I obviously should do more often, I learn that Zalenskyy himself, was asking to make the appearance.  Well he is a desperate man.

I imagine on a Saturday night in Big Al's Tap, it is not unusual for a spot of violence to occur for whatever reason.  Possibly the gendarmes are called in, most likely they are just pulled apart and there may even be some sort of apology, but I'll wager that what doesn't occur is a discussion on what this means for society.  

And another thing, reading past the slap the next morning it was all about how history was made because a movie about deaf people won an award, and how the emcees were all three of them were women(!!!).  I reckon the Puerto Rican lesbian in the wheelchair will have to wait some more years for her day.  

Nothing much was said about whether the movies that won were any good.  Because you know, it is not about movies, it is about the whole word.  

And the next time you have an itchy fist at Big Al's Tap, maybe you should confer with Sean Penn and if his message of peace and brotherhood does not win you over maybe he can loan you one of his melted down Oscars to clobber the other guy with

Marching out of here

Thanks for the heads up on Nanci Griffith, Uncle Ken.  I don't think I was ever aware of her but she may have come and gone in the recesses of my memory.  My tastes in music ebb and flow, always shifting; I'll like something for a while and then I don't like it anymore but then years later I like it again.  You may call it wishy-washy but I call it a nuanced appreciation of the fluid nature of artistic expression.  That was a nice song but they could have eased up on the background music, a little too loud for me to enjoy her singing.

I'm starting to feel a little sorry for Uncle Ken regarding Johnny Cash as a songwriter.  That song about the chain gang, the one he sings with Waylon Jennings?  He didn't write that one, either.

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Perhaps Old Dog is referring to Isle Royale National Park...

No, Mr. Beagles, I know the difference and what a remote location Isle Royale is.  Many years ago, way back in the 20th century, I worked with a lady who was recently married and the newlyweds spent a week-long honeymoon camping on Isle Royale.  The marriage did not get off to a good start, eventually failing miserably and hardening her heart.  A sad tale, to be sure.

I'm glad the ammo situation has improved.  Last year my brother-in-law, the retired police officer, had a devil of a time getting .38 Special ammo for his weapon qualification as a security guard.  He had to get some shipped in from some friends in Michigan (!).

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Every kid had a stack about two feet high...

Yeah, two feet sounds about right.

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Some people say I suck, others say I blow and they're both right.  A little something I picked up a few days ago; time to see how easily the neighbors get annoyed.

 

the Burning Bed Bounder

 As witnessed by my paean to Johnny Cash I am all for peppering up your prose.  And Burning Bed Bandit is plenty colorful, but it's a little disappointing under explanation when it is revealed that there is no thievery involved, indeed the only crime is littering.  I get that it's alliterative and a grouping of three words is pleasing, but calling the guy a bandit is setting up the listener for a letdown.

How about bounder, the Burning Bed Bounder, three  B's and the same rhythm, and it lends a bit of Merrie Olde Englande to The Swampe.  "I say Guvnor, this looks like the work of the Burning Bed Bounder."  Situated not far from a lake I would wager that Cheboygan gets its share of fog and you could switch out your roll your own for one of those pipes with the curvy stems, and wear one of those Sherlock Holmes hats.  Then when the tourists tell the bus driver they have become bored with the shotgun toting authentic guy, he can offer to drive them off to a foggy spot of Merrie Olde Englande where a famous English detective lives in seclusion, and once they are assembled around your porch you can regale them with tales from your detective days.  And If they look a bit bored you can switch to your stories about deer stalking.

Because that Sherlock Holmes hat is actually a deerstalking hat.  You probably already knew that but I had to go the wiki. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deerstalker 

Which I have to tell you is a little disappointing because it never properly explains what is going on with the bill facing backwards.  I have to wonder if it is to confuse the deer so that they will not know whether the hunter is walking forwards or backwards.

I mentioned that thing about Putin withdrawing last morning in my post and as the day grew longer the story firmed up, and it was looking more and more like a withdrawal, but then it became more and more of a redeployment.  But as you military guys must now, isn't a redeployment just a fancy word for a retreat?

An Over Dramatization

Perhaps calling the perpetrator the Burning Bed Bandit was an over dramatization on my part.  All we really know is that somebody left an old bed by the side of the road and that it appeared to have been set on fire.  We don't even know if the dumper and the fire setter were the same person.  Usually, when a back woods litterer is apprehended, it's because a letter or something with the guy's name on it is found among the trash, like in the old Arlo Guthrie story "Alice's Restaurant".  In this case, the bed may have been burned to obliterate any identifying marks, or it may have been some kids just screwing around.  

The latest Russian troop movements in Ukraine might be a tactical withdrawal to consolidate their gains, or it may be that they need a respite from getting their asses shot off trying to take Kyiv.  Either way, it doesn't appear that they are planning to go home any time soon.  Bummer!

the burning bed bandit

 The burning bed bandit?  Hey now here is something that sticks out in a recitation of old roads of Cheboygan, but then the subject is dropped without further mention.  A blog search reveals nothing, nor does a document search, and Old Man Google simply shrugs at mention of the burning bed bandit Cheboygan.  So what is the story here?

Oh I get why Biden shouldn't have said what he said, but it doesn't seem like such a big deal to me.  He didn't specifically say regime change, he was just expressing his opinion same like us denizens of The Institute do.  The taking it back part was awfully clumsy though, if he didn't favor regime change did that mean he favored leaving Putin in power?  They should have just brushed it off at the press conference, much like Will Smith brushed off Kevin Hart.  Now that is something that will eat up more ink than anything Biden says.

There seems to be something afoot where Putin will take parts of eastern Ukraine and leave the rest of Ukraine alone.  You hate to see Putin get a prize for his actions, but then you see that endless parade of woeful immigrants and bombed out buildings, and you think maybe that is the way to go.

When Old Dog said that I Never Picked Cotton had two authors I assumed that it was Johnny Cash and some other guy, but poking around later I noticed that Johnny Cash  was neither of the authors.  Well shit.  It certainly sounds like Johnny Cash with that rich old-time slangy tone.  I guess I can only say that Johnny chose it because it sounded like something that he would have written.

Speaking of which, sort of, I mentioned that Nanci Griffith was my favorite songwriter and here is a song that she didn't write, but I like for it's old timey tone, 30's I would guess.  Well I just like it.  The dawgs can have their own opinions on it of course.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QAXmqIdweA

Alpena State Road

Alpena State Road never went to Alpena and has never been a state highway.  It got its name from being originally built by the Alpena State Lumber Company back in the old logging days.  I don't know anything else about that particular company.  The road crosses several sections of state land and links with several other roads that lead out to county roads with houses on them.  There are also a number of two track trails that branch off, meander around, and eventually dead end in the swamp.  The whole network is primarily used by hunters in the fall and snowmobilers in the winter.  There used to be a dump, which would be called a landfill today, that was closed before I moved here in 1967.  Apparently some people never got the word about the old dump being closed and continue to deposit trash and junk at several sites along the road even unto this day.  Volunteer groups have been trying to clean these sites up for years, and they have made significant progress, but have not been able totally stop the practice.  Citations are issued occasionally, but I haven't heard of the Burning Bed Bandit being apprehended. 

Round Island is located between Mackinac and Bois Blanc islands and is quite small.  There is a lighthouse on it and not much else.  Perhaps Old Dog is referring to Isle Royale National Park, which is located in Lake Superior near the Canadian border.  That one is maintained as a true wilderness area.  I understand that it's the least visited and least accessible of all our national parks, but I have never been there.

Hunting ammunition was really hard to come by last fall.  All the stores were sold out and I couldn't even find the type I use on the internet.  I did file several requests to let me know if and when they come back in stock.  About a week ago I was notified by one of the sites that my bullets were now available, limit two boxes to a customer.  My order arrived in a few days, so I should be all set for next season, provided one or both of us doesn't get sick or die by then.  I guess I should have stocked up during the Trump administration.

The war in Ukraine has now entered into its second month.  I never thought that the Ukrainians would hold out this long, and neither did Putin.  I don't know why there has been such an uproar over Biden's statement that Putin should be removed from office.  I said the same thing recently and nobody got upset about that.