Day: August 12, 2024, 11:10 PM

Toto

Chill War

I do realize there are various conflicts in Africa occurring. And it’s not that I don’t care about them or that they don’t matter, but the fact is that they are just less relevant to my future and the future of any areas I am likely to be present in or have anything to do with. And if that’s racism, so be it.

But what happens in Ukraine might directly affect me one day, if for no other reason that if we do not get that right my country might be fighting Russia in Poland in 2030. What happens in Sudan almost certainly will not have such a major effect.

War is terrible wherever it occurs. However, I am only one person; I can only pay attention to those conflicts that are likely to intersect my and my country’s future.

Pot

Chill Regular-ass Post

This post reminded me, but I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in a work setting as when my Peruvian co-worker was attempting to say “hippopotamus” and just uttered the most hilarious combination of syllables I’ve ever heard one human emit.

No, we were not laughing at her. She was laughing just as hard as we all were. And she still cannot say “hippopotamus.” But she is getting better.

Political Win

Chill War

‘Doing the least obvious thing’: Ukraine embarrasses Putin with surprise assault on southern Russia.

That has been a political and propaganda win for sure. I thought the Russians would beat this attack back much more quickly than they did. So the incursion (as the article says) has been deeply embarrassing for Russia and will increase Ukraine’s support. The longer they can stay in country, the better.

And as I already mentioned it’s causing the loony left (Ian Welsh et al.) to go fucking nuts. And that is beautiful to watch, too.

Chill Links

The Real Reason Trump and Vance Hate Being Called ‘Weird.’

Does Anyone in America Miss Joe Biden as Much as Donald Trump? The ex-President is having a very hard time pivoting to Kamala Harris.

The Euro and Its Imperial Ancestors.

The Past and Future of Military Drones.

Fed’s Bowman Sees Upside Inflation Risk, Signals Caution on Cuts.

Federal infrastructure funding is fueling a push to remove dams and restore river habitat.

Sexual sensation. What makes touch on some parts of the body erotic but not others? Cutting-edge biologists are arriving at new answers.

Tim Walz’s Finances Don’t Look Anything Like a Typical Politician’s. He’s still far below where a 60-year-old should be if they want to retire.

First Known Survivor of China’s Forced Organ Harvesting Speaks Out.

The Great Wealth Transfer is set to be a $90 trillion disappointment—especially for millennials.

‘It’s going to be hair-raising’: high-risk slingshot move will send robot craft to Jupiter.

Boomers Buying Houses Had It Bad in the ’80s. Millennials Have It Worse.

Blasted

Chill America Fuck Yeah, War

Indeed. Tight, coordinated combined-arms exercises is what the US military really fucking excels at. Ignoring prep time, the US military could completely spank the Russian forces in Ukraine in 6 weeks. It’d be an embarrassing slaughter. All the drones in the world would not change that. A passel of AGM-88 HARMs for a few weeks, a wing or two of A-10s, many more Bradleys and a healthy sprinkling of JDAMs dropped from F/A18s and F-22s and Russia would be routed just by air power alone. (Not that Bradleys are air power, but you get what I mean.)

To the extent that the Russian military looks good, it only seems that way in comparison to a country with 1/4 its population, 1/10 its GDP, nearly no close air support and a severe lack of ammo. The US would absolutely annihilate the Russians without much effort.