11/19/20

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

It’s too bad you missed the family photo at the G20. Were you avoiding appearing alongside Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov or did you, Justin Trudeau & Giorgia Meloni get so caught up in your conversation that you didn’t notice that everyone else was posing. It is unsettling that the photographers did not notice your absence.

Kindness? Is it doing good or being nice, or a combination of the two? I ask because kindness came up in a conflict work group meeting last night, definitions varied. I emphasize someone’s actions & prioritize truth over gentleness. Others are more concerned with the way in which the truth is delivered & the impact it has on the recipient’s emotions. I’m afraid that in speaking my truth on the matter, I was perceived as unkind. Now what?

Speaking of unkind, clearly the misguided youth running around Ohio with swastikas intend to intimidate & are going out of their way to express animosity. I am grateful that you called them out. I’m not sure what it will take to curb this wave of nastiness, but I hope we can.

Please see what you can learn about the situation with Peng Daxun one of the leaders of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA). He’s been in China since late Oct. but it’s unclear if he is under house arrest or is there for medical treatment. The Irrawaddy suggests XJ is trying to pressure the MNDAA to withdraw from Lashio. A questionable strategy.

I am holding us all in the Light as 6 of our ATACMS were shot at Russia today. Apparently, VVP shot down 5 of them & the other one caused a fire at a military facility. No one was killed, but we just wasted $5 million & lots of good will. The only winners are the shareholders of Lockheed Martin. WINTA!

I hope the folks at COP29 figure out how to pay for helping poor countries deal with climate change. The CSM says there’s some hope that private companies can come to the rescue. I hope so!

Have a safe trip home,

BYBS,