After a month-long journey covering events in Russia, Pepe Escobar has returned with a deeply-felt message of the utmost importance.

Below, I’ve excerpted some of the highlights of his Diary; the bolded emphases are mine. With every word, one can sense the intensity with which Escobar is addressing us. He wants us to feel and understand the emotions and courage shown by the leaders and representatives of the Global South and Eurasia — a majority of the world population — as they come together to actively organize their independence from the cruel, psychopathic domination of the United States.

During these past four weeks, a firm line has been drawn in this World.

During this same four weeks, our rogue Federal Government has continued to smear its twisted propanganda, bullying and demeaning resistant nations, and launching its world-wide covert missions of destabilization and chaos in order to protect its greedy hegemony, all the while imposing the dystopian dictatorship of the elite upon all nations of the world.

Escobar's Diary also answers the question, "What happened when XI travelled to Russia to meet Putin?" The question was never answered in Western media. The American people were misdirected to believe that the meeting was about Ukraine, and included wild speculation that Xi would tell Russia to end the war, or Xi was there to help Russia win the war. The most depraved among the US and EU politicians used the moment as a publicity stunt, where they sternly warned XI not to sell weapons to Russia. As if.... The State Department created a counter publicity stunt where the President of Taiwan was invited to the White House to meet with the sloganized, mentally-impaired US President. Desperate times, indeed.

An article posted Thursday in Counterpunch, "Climate Options are Available Now, Nuclear Power Isn’t One of Them," is basically about the Biden administration's approval of oil and gas drilling in Arctic Alaska.

Dedollarization

Slowly, slowly, then all at once... the dollar's dominance and the US empire will fall. Will the petroyuan replace the dollar as the global currency? It is looking that way. China sold natural gas to France this week in yuan. Brazil and China are to trade in their own currency and by-pass the dollar. Russia is shifting to the yuan using the Chinese currency to settle accounts globally. Russia and India have been trading in their own currency for the last year. Additionally there's a rush to join the SCO and BRICS+ as nations eagerly try to escape the USD and its poison pill of sanctions.

Afternoon folks!

This was a productive week for the uploading to youtube thing. There's a bunch of good blues, a half-live, half-studio early 70's album from Taj Mahal, a compilation from Smokey Hogg, and a greatest hits compilation from Lee Dorsey - check out his original version of "Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley" it's much better (imo) than later covers. Then there's a buncha blues-rock - a couple of late 60's Steppenwolf albums, a late 70's Roy Buchanan album and a great Little Feat compilation. Finishing up is the kinda new wavey Squeeze for a little diversity.

Enjoy!

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso

HA HA the joke is on us.

As the power of the Presidential executive branch has grown and usurped congressional authority the power of the individual elected president has decreased.

President Jack Kennedy wielded enough power he was assassinated. His brother Robert killed to prevent his acquiring presidential power. By the time Trump came along there were plenty of methods to diminish the ability of a sitting president to govern. An international medical emergency created new opportunities to by pass a president. Biden has shown the human mind elected to the position is not too important, just need a warm body to walk to a podium and speak occationally. Being able to stay on point with a teleprompter is no longer a requirement.

Happy Friday everyone. I hope everybody is doing well. Post any photos, memes, or music you like.

It's spring and for me that means one thing, baseball. I'm a big fan and yesterday was opening day for the 2023 season so I'm a happy camper. The new season brings with it new rules to speed up the pace of the game. Pitchers are limited in how much time they take between pitches and batters are limited in how many times they can step out of the batters box during an at bat. I really like the changes. The game has a more consistent flow .
As the late, great Ernie Banks used to say, "let's play two". I'm down for that. So grab your glove, get to the ballpark, and root, root, root for the home team.

I shot these at a Padre vs Reds game a few years ago.

Putting the ball in play