exhausting

Today was fine.
It was exhausting.
Nothing bad happened.
It was exhausting. 
Good things happened!
It was exhausting.

I now have security clearance to take the trip. 
I now have a travel authorization - this afternoon. 
I have ethical clearance - before the end of the day.
I have everything but tickets and I'm sure that I'll have those before the plane takes off. 

I got sympathy from colleagues about the travel process, how it is much more than can possibly be imagined, how unintuitive it is, how insane it is. I work with empathetic people.

I got up from my computer and looked out the window and saw several very-pregnant-looking robins attacking the ground under the leaves with gusto. 

Samuel wanted to go to happy hour to be with people. At first I said no, because it was 24 degrees F (-4.4 C), but then I realized he won't get a chance for two weeks and took him.  It is very, very cold, but I was told it is colder in Massachusetts and Maine. It is really bad in Maine. We should send Irish blankets. 

The US has agreed to give Abrams tanks. Germany has agreed to allow countries to give Leopard 2s. Britain is giving Challenger tanks.  Russia is the biggest donor. There is a secret spot in Ukraine to convert them to Ukrainian. First, you clean off the Z! It is managed by a charity, the Serhiy Prytula Foundation. A bunch of private companies help refurbish weapons. 


Politico has an article that points out that one of the reason Europe united for Ukraine, and so quickly, is thanks to rapid, accurate translation on social media. This invasion, we were able to hear directly and instantly from the invaded. Regular people heard from regular people. As a result, the public supports sanctions and weapons transfers. 74 percent of EU citizens support Kyiv. We didn't have this accuracy and ubiquity for Russia's other invasions. 


Political leaders did not convince citizens. Citizens convinced political leaders. Macron screwed up and was corrected. Scholz dithered. Germans protested with increasing fury. 


The US is sending Ukraine Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs or GLSDB. They have a range of 94 miles and can be fired by HIMARS.