A to Z Challenge - Theme Reveal

My engagement with the blogosphere has slowed down significantly due to pressing work and personal commitments. So much so, I thought I will have to give this year's A to Z Challenge next month a miss.

But, fortunately, things are easing up, and I’m confident I can participate again, just as I have for the past seven years.

The challenge involves publishing a post each day of April — except four Sundays — on a word corresponding to each letter of the English alphabet.  So, that is a total of 26 posts for the month.  

Now, it’s time for the "theme reveal", where participants, if they choose to, can share the subject they plan to blog about.

In previous years, I’ve sometimes chosen a specific theme, while at other times, I’ve written about random topics.

I thought this time I would pick one.   

Lately, everyone has been talking about the heat — it already feels like summer. So this year, I’ve decided to focus on ‘environment and ecology.’ That will be my theme.

Now, I just need to come up with 26 related topics. Hopefully, I’ll manage!

White House showdown

Screenshot from the full video of the meeting.
(From FOX5 New York) 

Earlier, I used to post and discuss political issues. I try my best not to do so now.

Sometimes, a political development -- like the exchange of words between Donald Trump, J D Vance and Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Saturday -- is too tempting not to.

It's a topic of discussion worldwide, and social media is full of memes and conspiracy theories on why it all ended up the way it did.

I am not surprised at the exchange of words. I am sure such exchanges happen, probably even worse.

What surprised me was that it was done in public, in the full glare of the media.

There is a way issues are resolved. It's always done behind closed doors.

What is in public is only what should be in public.

I don't understand why the accepted norms were derailed. It has never happened before.

WHY ALL THIS WHEN THE DEAL WAS READY?

Also, if a deal was ready to be signed, what was the need to get into political issues, go back to the past and try to justify who was right and who was wrong about the war.

The whole point was about ending the war. The effort should have been to get the deal signed and move forward as quickly as possible -- for the sake of all.

None of the three had the presence of mind or inclination to say: "I think we are going off the rail. We need to cut this here. Let us get on with the deal and move on."

Something that was going on very well was needlessly messed up.

On the whole, I found the whole thing bizarre, and ugly.

Interestingly, towards the end, Trump said:

It's good for the American people to see what is going on. I think it's very important. That's why I kept this going for so long. … This is going to be great television.

Finally, it was just that. Good television.