Ed Casabar @edcasabar@qoto.org

Humanitarian and volunteer soldier from the UK in #Ukraine, #MacerGifford, gives an incredible interview. Probably one of the most articulate persons I've ever heard speak about the war. A truly amazing individual. Well worth listening to the whole podcast on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOzTmMRcehE

In support of Budweiser. This*

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-pop-culture/bud-light-partnership-trans-influencer-dylan-mulvaney-prompts-rightwin-rcna78295

Trump charged with 34 felonies. Wow. Just wow.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/04/trump-arraignment-ny-indictment-live-updates/

相馬野馬追。私はそこにいます! The #SomaNomaoi festival. I'll be there!

#japan
#日本

Yes! The International Criminal Court (#ICC) issues an arrest warrant for Russian President, Vladimir #Putin. for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children.

Source: NY Times

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/03/17/world/russia-ukraine-putin-news

#RussiaIsATerroristState

"Navalny" movie wins an #Oscar. #Russian political prisoner and Putin's arch enemy, Alexei #Navalny, now imprisoned for one a year, will smile once he hears the news. His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, speaks on his behalf. #СвободуНавальному!

Video source: Дождь/TVRain

Power to the people. Great news for #Georgia. After two nights of protests, Georgia's ruling party withdraws Kremlin-like foreign agents bill intended to stifle media coverage and civil society.

Photo source: Associated Press

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/09/world/europe/georgia-protests-bill.html

Why we should worry of Russian influence in the world. Brave Georgians protesting against a Russian-style "foreign agent" law aimed at limiting media freedom and civil society.

How the Russian language has changed because of the war. With English and Russian subtitles.

Worth a listen whether or not you're learning #Russian - a podcast from two Russian language instructors who left their country because of the war.

I found this particularly interesting since I posted previously about new Russian vocabulary I've learned since the start of the war.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBQT5yjqeco

#Russia, #россия
#RussianLanguage, #русскийязык
#languagelearning

A well done, PBS Newshour piece on whether #ArtificialIntelligence, #AI, can produce art.

Visually stunning and thought provoking. Makes me want to go to New York to view #RafikAnadol 's "Unsupervised" at MOMA..

For the visually impaired, text of the interview is available PBS:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/use-of-artificial-intelligence-generates-questions-about-the-future-of-art

#Murdoch, under oath, admits #Fox endorsed #TheBigLie. I hope he sees jail time or at least we see the financial demise of Fox News.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/27/business/media/fox-news-dominion-rupert-murdoch.html

365 days of Russia’s terrible, genocidal war in Ukraine. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians dead and millions displaced.

After 365 days, it’s easy for us Americans to ignore the war as it grinds on. But we cannot lessen our support for Ukraine and its people. We must continue to stand united against Putin and Russia.

Russia has devolved into a Fascist, authoritarian, terrorist, and isolated state. Hundreds of thousands of its men are mobilized, only to be poorly trained and equipped, then sent to be cannon fodder in wave after wave of outdated and ineffective, WW1-style battles. Hardened Russian prisoners, including murderers and rapists, are recruited to enter a constitutionally illegal, but widely accepted private army.

Russia feeds lies to its people. State TV controls the narrative as Russian propagandists scream for elimination of Ukrainian identity and threaten nuclear war. Disinformation becomes the norm in Russia as independent journalists are ousted, the internet is censored, laws to control speech are enacted, and Putin’s opponents are imprisoned or thrown out of windows.

We have seen that Russia bombs the Ukrainian infrastructure and power grid in an attempt to freeze and starve Ukrainians during winter. War crimes have been documented, including execution style murders of ordinary citizens, rape, the deportation of thousands of children for “re-education”, and the use of phosphorous bombs to cause uncontrollable fires. The world economy has destabilized and worries of WW3 or nuclear war loom. Democracy in Europe and other countries (e.g., Moldova, the Baltics) are under threat if Putin and Russia are allowed to continue.

After 20 years in office, Putin did all of this to in a sick and evil attempt to remain in power and recreate his vision of a renewed empire/Soviet Union - no matter the cost to Russia, his people, Ukraine, and the world. He must be stopped.

#Ukraine, #Україна
#SlavaUkraini, #СлаваУкраїні
#RussiaIsATerroristState

Image source: New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/24/world/europe/ukraine-war-anniversary-photos.html

Yes! Unwavering support for #Ukraine. #Biden visits #Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Air raid sirens going off.

#SlavaUkraini
#славаукраїні
#russiaisaterroriststate

Sending peace and loving kindness to former President Jimmy Carter, who has entered hospice care. What an exemplary person he has been.

Daring escapes of brave, anti-war Russians fleeing their homeland.
#russiaisaterroriststate

Смелые побеги отважных антивоенных россиян, бегущих с родины.
#РоссияГосударствоТеррорист

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/14/world/europe/russia-antiwar-dissidents-escape.html

#russia
#россия

Yikes! Close call. Discovered only 5 days ago, #Asteroid 2023 BU will pass by Earth within 2200 miles/3600 km tonight at 7:27 pm Eastern time.

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-system-predicts-small-asteroid-to-pass-close-by-earth-this-week

Jpeg of orbital diagram courtesy of #NASA.

People of Bali Series 2 of 2

Finally getting around to post-processing this photo series. #RetiredLife.

#Bali
#Indonesia
#Travel
#Photography
#Portrait
#PortraitPhotography
#PhotoMonday
#FotoMontag

People of Bali Series 1 of 2

Finally getting around to post-processing this photo series. #RetiredLife.

#Bali
#Indonesia
#Travel
#Photography
#Portrait
#PortraitPhotography
#PhotoMonday
#FotoMontag

Visually stunning. Three-time American Olympian and 28-time world champion speed skater, Joey Mantia, skating on a frozen lake at Banff National Park, in southwestern Alberta, Canada.

Source, Instagram: @joeymantia https://www.instagram.com/p/CnuKEyBBYu-/

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr #Zelenskyy , gives an incredibly powerful New Years address to his people accompanied by equally powerful images from the war. Well worth the 17 minutes to watch all of it. My deepest respect to him and his people - and to his speech writers. He never ceases to amaze me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANaVkRxDPCI

I found this part particularly moving, as he thanks his people, starting @7:28 minutes:

“Everyone is important in war. Who holds a weapon, the steering wheel of a car, the helm of a ship or plane, a scalpel, or a pointer. Everyone who is behind a laptop, who drives a combine harvester, a train. Who is at a roadblock and a power plant. Journalists and diplomats, utility workers and rescuers. All. Who is working. Studying at a university or school. And even those who are just learning to walk. All this is for their sake. Our children. Our people. Our country. There are no small matters in a Great War. There are no unnecessary ones. Each one of us is a fighter. Each one of us is a front. Each of us is he basis of the defense. We fight as one team - the whole country, all our regions. I admire you all….”

#ukraine
#Україна
#RussiaIsATerroristState