Friends

Just had dinner with friends. Dear god. Should I? This was rough.
Two of the four of us are unemployed. 
The other unemployed one just learned she is the only non-neurodivergent one in her household. Her husband is freaking out because he, justifiably, is worried about losing his job. The kids, because they are neurodivergent, need certain things that cost money or they are unmanageable. She was discussing becoming a bus driver to keep health insurance. 
Tonight was the first time she’s been able to eat in days because it was the first time she felt happiness.  
She re-began chain smoking.

I had only been thinking about all the USAID employees and contractors looking for work, failing to register that with ALL the agencies downsizing and ALL the contractors laid off there will not be jobs in Maryland, Virginia, or DC. 

One of my thoughts was I could teach but it was pointed out that colleges etc will be laying people off and everyone will be trying to teach. 

There was some levity. A discussion of how squirrels are available and we could hunt them. We could start a farm. How many holes does a chicken have? A third one of us is not unemployed but she is working on the promise of being paid some day in the future but she’s ok because her husband does not work for the government or a government contractor - she feels a loss of identity because for the first time in her adult life she isn’t earning money but was joking that her husband is now her sugar daddy - we could all live in a commune and “marry” her husband. 


I pointed out that now that the US is best buddies with Russia we are far less likely to have a nuclear war. Why would Russia bomb us now? 



Ukraine
Looking for news I just saw two Fox News article headlines that blame Zelensky for yesterday’s disaster. “Zelensky didn’t read the room” and “KT McFarland: “I don’t think this goes anywhere except worse’ unless Zelensky changes or steps down”


There has been an outpouring of support for Zelenskyy around the world, including Canada, Germany, France, Australia. Britain, Australia, Denmark, the EU, Moldova, Spain, Norway, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Estonia, Poland, Switzerland, and Italy. 


VP Vance had to cancel his ski trip today when protestors met him at the slopes. One of the signs said, “Vance is a traitor go ski in Russia.”


Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence ^ Aerospace plans Teo start missile production for air defense systems in Ukraine.