When stories come alive

 "One must never place a loaded rifle on the stage if it isn't going to go off. It's wrong to make promises you don't mean to keep." Chekhov, letter to Aleksandr Semenovich Lazarev (pseudonym of A. S. Gruzinsky), 1 November 1889.

The new cyberwar

Putin’s pre-war moves against U.S. tech giants laid groundwork for crackdown on free expression

The devices and platforms provided by American tech firms have functioned as conduits of Western information and ideas to millions of Russians. This American technology has been critical to protest movements and reform advocates, enabling such groups to raise money, build support and map strategy on encrypted channels that are more difficult for Russian intelligence agencies to monitor.

Stay or go? 

This is one of the best endorsements of open source software I've seen in a long time: It would be a lot more difficult—nigh impossible—to shut down.

And that, in turn, is why teaching news literacy is more important than imposing censorship.

And caviar?

Biden bars Russian alcohol and diamonds, warns of ‘severe price’ for chemical attack in Ukraine

President Biden on Friday banned imports of Russian alcohol, diamonds and seafood while making other trade more onerous…

Yep.

Driving by…

…I saw a truck with a big sign on it, "Outstanding in Their Field," and a mural  showing a big field with a bunch of people standing in it, waving. 

Coming attractions

And still nobody's guessed Zorro

The letter Z is becoming a symbol of Russia's war in Ukraine. But what does it mean?

Seems like a step backward in time

That long gray winter just got longer and grayer

Now it's getting serious

Designer of Russia’s military uniforms dropped from Paris Fashion Week

It’s not clear whether Yadushkin resides in Russia, but his company is based in Moscow.

If this doesn't stop Putin's invasion, what will? 

Ready for a little color here

It's been a long gray winter.

Now, the goofy-play industrial complex

The Navy SEAL–ification of Nerf

The goofy gunplay on display at Drac’s events blends childishness and combat in a way that seems distinctly, and sometimes disconcertingly, American.

About a week ago…

…I heard a steady procession of heavy military air transport overhead, lifting out of a nearby base, headed east.

This morning I heard geese.

Which is an improvement, seems to me. Right now we're having blustery, overcast (i.e. March) weather, warmed by some southern air pushing up the coast. So my guess—no, my hope—is, the geese are beginning to return to their summer homes.

Thirteen days until Spring. 

One reason we're so big on sanctioning Russia…

 …is that our leaders can think of nothing scarier than having their own money taken away.

And nothing less scary than people who lose their jobs, homes, even lives from having theirs taken away.

The blowback begins

Russian banks rush to switch to Chinese card system

[Reuters]

But in New Jersey it's hippopotomonstrosesquippedalio–phobia

Nomophobia strikes fear in the hearts of the phoneless

It all sounds pretty grim to me.