Preying mantis

I successfully killed at least two spotted lantern flies today. I bought some praying mantis egg sacs for my garden as a pesticide-free approach to trying to control them and today spotted a baby. 

I did a bunch of stuff for the business.

I also went to the local Good Trouble protest. So marvelous to have them everywhere, it makes them quick and easy to get to. https://youtu.be/1jOylWLfq4Y?si=NIWHTqUSdKYuEuhW These honor John Lewis who encouraged us to get into “good trouble” for just cause. 

A Ukrainian brigade has a press service (!!! How is this war different from all other wars? Ukraine truly understands that public communication is essential to winning. I guess the US did similar things in WWII to keep up morale but I wasn’t here then.) and it posts to Facebook. They said that there is an elite Russian division that fought in Chechnya, Georgia, and Syria but now includes poorly trained troops with criminal records. Ukraine captured them. The captured soldiers said they were exhausted, demoralized, and confused about their mission. 

Russia’s biggest annual defense showcase, Army 2025, scheduled for mid-August, has been cancelled without explanation. It is typically the big fair where Moscow unveils cutting-edge weapons and other military tech. Over 800 companies were lined up to participate. This used to be a week long shindig but in 2024 it was only three days. 

A Shaheed drone was attacking Ukraine. Ukraine tried to shoot it down with machine guns but the drone was fast and low and the machine guns didn’t succeed. Ukraine had a teeny white interceptor drone slam right into it and that took the bigger, mightier Shaheed drone out. They can take Shaheed’s out w/o direct contact because they have explosives on them. They were developed by a group called the “Wild Hornets” and they are called the “Sting.” 

Russians who do not have a family member dying at the front are suffering financially. People are having a hard time repaying loans. The Russian banks are trying to arrange government bailouts.