No mouse was hurt last night

We have another guest.

There was another adventure.

This time no one in the family was there for it. While we slept someone stepped in a trap and freed herself. She was not hurt in the process. If anything I bet she was excited and felt triumphant. 

I am very upset because I am certain that she then took a picture, sent it to the mouse community, explained what a glue trap is, warned them to avoid it, and told them how to get out if they mistakenly do step in it. If they don't have the capability to teach each other, someone would, at some point, have gone into my new humane traps and someone would, at some point, have eaten some of my bait. 

Or, maybe, the community all got together, held down the trap by the sides, arranged a rope harness, and pulled her to safety. 

I decided there were more gaps in one of the bathrooms along the floor and that I should fill them with steel wool. After I finished, a tiny mouse ran past the open door. Samuel and I both saw her. Then we had a nice little chase and now she is in my closet on the ground floor. There are glue traps all along the entrance to the closet. 

The level of sanctions the world has imposed on Russia are unprecedented and there is no way Putin could have anticipated them. Still, they could be tougher. 

Germany is dependent on Russian fossil fuel. 55% of Germany's gas comes from Russia. 40% of the EU's gas as a whole does. Before the war Germany was preparing to become more dependent with the second pipeline, which is now off. Germany definitely realizes that this dependency was a mistake and is implementing measures to reduce the dependency, but has resisted some of the sanctions on fuel because it will send its economy into a recession. Some Russian banks are still allowed to use the Swift financial messaging system because they facilitate energy payments from Europe to Russia. Even the new US sanctions on the biggest banks, barring all US entities from transactions with them, exempt the energy sector. The sanctions on Russian-owned enterprises that the US Treasury Department will announce tomorrow, don't include the energy sector. New EU proposals include a ban on coal and oil imports from Russia. Germany is having a debate. Opinion polls have shown that the majority of Germans – between 55% and 77% – are in favor of stopping imports of gas from Russia, despite the impact it might have on their ability to heat their homes.

Finnish Customs seized artwork en route to Russia. The paintings, sculptures, and antiquities are worth 42 million euros ($46 million), the agency said. The artwork was on loan from Russia to museums and galleries in Japan and Italy.

Russians are planting vegetable gardens. Inflation has jumped. Russians are stocking up, which drives up prices further. For example, there is no actual shortage of sugar but prices are up 46%. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development projected the economy will shrink by 10% this year. The hope is that a weak economy will make it harder for Russia to wage war.

Russia is having a tough time putting together enough trained soldiers to fight. Even if they ignore or violate their own laws and promises and conscript everyone, and then send the new soldiers to battle, the new soldiers won't be trained. 

Apparently the US has developed some cyber skills. Apparently we secretly removed Russian malware worldwide, including in companies, to stop them from being able to launch cyber attacks. 

Runners from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to compete in the Boston Marathon this month. 

Mexican American superhero El Peso Hero is helping Ukraine. El Peso Hero's "real name" is Ignacio Rivera. He went to Mariupol and lifted a tank to rescue a trapped Ukrainian family, deflected Russian bullets, found a missing Red Cross volunteer, and diverted a gas attack. El Peso Hero's creator asks readers to donate to UNICEF's relief fund for Ukrainian children.