There is another excellent long article for SMO enthusiasts in the NYT this morning - available via the paywall busting technology of your choice.
It's doesn't tell much that seasoned observers of matters in the Donyetskiy Bassein didn't already know but it's well written and entertaining.
- Hegseth is a craven fucking bootlicker who just wants to please Trump even when it's not apparent what exactly would please Trump. - Kellog is a cold war dinosaur who should have been pensioned off and let nowhere near the SMO. I didn't know the Russians had tried to assassinate him at an embassy dinner with a lethal injection. Fucking LOL. - Zelenskiy, as we already know, doesn't listen to anybody and sporadically fucks himself and by extension Ukraine by not doing so. - All of Trump's court eunuchs (Lutnick, that lanky cum stain Jared, etc.) run independent and competing foreign policies. - Trump is Trump. - The only person who seems to have a clear eyed strategy in the whole farrago is Just Dance. He thinks aiding Ukraine only helps Europe and is a complete misallocation of resources that should be going to the Pacific. He's probably right in strictly instrumental terms.
Is the JD view correct? Because right now, the only winner from the Ukraine war is China, which is increasingly reducing Russia to vassal status
If you argue that the Europeans are insular and unreliable allies then it's arguable, in that the US wouldn't expect any help from the Europeans in the Pacific either way and so fuck 'em.
But I tend to think that helping Ukraine to win would (a) create a new ally in Ukraine who could help the US in the future and, (b) free up Britain, at least, from the worries of European defence to help the US in the Pacific. Plus generally build confidence in democracies that they can stand up to dictatorships and win.
Maybe (b) is not so much a factor, because Britain's aircraft carriers aren't much use defending against Russia, so they will be available to become a missile target in the Pacific either way for all the good that will achieve.
I think the most important benefit of a Ukrainian victory with US assistance would be that it would create deterrence value against China attacking Taiwan. That even makes a case for the US air force intervening directly in the Ukraine War to achieve a rapid victory.
There is another excellent long article for SMO enthusiasts in the NYT this morning - available via the paywall busting technology of your choice.
It's doesn't tell much that seasoned observers of matters in the Donyetskiy Bassein didn't already know but it's well written and entertaining.
- Hegseth is a craven fucking bootlicker who just wants to please Trump even when it's not apparent what exactly would please Trump. - Kellog is a cold war dinosaur who should have been pensioned off and let nowhere near the SMO. I didn't know the Russians had tried to assassinate him at an embassy dinner with a lethal injection. Fucking LOL. - Zelenskiy, as we already know, doesn't listen to anybody and sporadically fucks himself and by extension Ukraine by not doing so. - All of Trump's court eunuchs (Lutnick, that lanky cum stain Jared, etc.) run independent and competing foreign policies. - Trump is Trump. - The only person who seems to have a clear eyed strategy in the whole farrago is Just Dance. He thinks aiding Ukraine only helps Europe and is a complete misallocation of resources that should be going to the Pacific. He's probably right in strictly instrumental terms.
Is the JD view correct? Because right now, the only winner from the Ukraine war is China, which is increasingly reducing Russia to vassal status
If you argue that the Europeans are insular and unreliable allies then it's arguable, in that the US wouldn't expect any help from the Europeans in the Pacific either way and so fuck 'em.
But I tend to think that helping Ukraine to win would (a) create a new ally in Ukraine who could help the US in the future and, (b) free up Britain, at least, from the worries of European defence to help the US in the Pacific. Plus generally build confidence in democracies that they can stand up to dictatorships and win.
Maybe (b) is not so much a factor, because Britain's aircraft carriers aren't much use defending against Russia, so they will be available to become a missile target in the Pacific either way for all the good that will achieve.
I think the most important benefit of a Ukrainian victory with US assistance would be that it would create deterrence value against China attacking Taiwan. That even makes a case for the US air force intervening directly in the Ukraine War to achieve a rapid victory.
Ask yourself what your opponent doesn't want you to do. In the case of China I don't think they want the US to support Ukraine and defeat Russia. That does create opportunities for them but a Russia that is no longer a bulwark against the west leaves China isolated.
- Kellog is a cold war dinosaur who should have been pensioned off and let nowhere near the SMO. I didn't know the Russians had tried to assassinate him at an embassy dinner with a lethal injection. Fucking LOL.
"Mr. Kellogg’s feelings about the Russians had been forged in the depths of the Cold War. Serving in U.S. Special Forces, he had led a Green Light team, soldiers trained to parachute behind Soviet lines with tactical nuclear weapons strapped between their legs. He also harbored a suspicion that the Russians had once tried to kill him. In 2000, while on the Army staff at the Pentagon, he had just left an event at the Russian embassy when he felt a sharp pain in his right elbow. Later, at dinner with friends, his wife noticed the swelling. The next day, he was rushed to the hospital, where doctors nearly had to amputate his arm to keep a staph infection from spreading."
Bloody hell, would the Russians have really tried to kill him in Washington DC? It's not like he was a major player, was he?
You can tell who is the PO in the header photo. Edit: and not just the rank badge.
I'm obscurely reminded of my father's tales of when his ship was in Pompey at holiday time when the rest of the crew were given just enough leave to go home if they lived somewhere godforsaken but easy like Tooting or Gosport. The residue from Scotland, Isle of Man, etc. had to stay on board but were given extra good meals by the remaining hash-slingers who felt it was in their own interests to do their best.
I told both Google AI and Grok about when I stayed in Gan. In the morning I walked to Lourdes and crossed the river Neez. Not long after I walked past an apiary; I saw the Neez Bees
Both of the AIs got the (real life) joke immediately, and told me how clever I was to make it at that moment (which I shared on PB)
I reckon that's quite good AI, to get the sound of a nonsensical Spoonerism of the Bees Knees
I watched the first of a twenty four part series about the Iron Curtain earlier. It was on the BBC in 1998, and narrated by Kenneth Branagh. One thing that struck me immediately was the use of the past tense to describe what had happened, rather than the modern trend of using the present, which I find really irritating
That's a really good series. I still use it today when teaching the Cold War, especially the episodes on Berlin (1948/61) Korea and Cuba.
The one on the break up of Yugoslavia that was broadcast in 1995 is excellent as well.
There is another excellent long article for SMO enthusiasts in the NYT this morning - available via the paywall busting technology of your choice.
It's doesn't tell much that seasoned observers of matters in the Donyetskiy Bassein didn't already know but it's well written and entertaining.
- Hegseth is a craven fucking bootlicker who just wants to please Trump even when it's not apparent what exactly would please Trump. - Kellog is a cold war dinosaur who should have been pensioned off and let nowhere near the SMO. I didn't know the Russians had tried to assassinate him at an embassy dinner with a lethal injection. Fucking LOL. - Zelenskiy, as we already know, doesn't listen to anybody and sporadically fucks himself and by extension Ukraine by not doing so. - All of Trump's court eunuchs (Lutnick, that lanky cum stain Jared, etc.) run independent and competing foreign policies. - Trump is Trump. - The only person who seems to have a clear eyed strategy in the whole farrago is Just Dance. He thinks aiding Ukraine only helps Europe and is a complete misallocation of resources that should be going to the Pacific. He's probably right in strictly instrumental terms.
Is the JD view correct? Because right now, the only winner from the Ukraine war is China, which is increasingly reducing Russia to vassal status
JD Vance is not correct. His policy on Ukraine, Russia and Europe generally serves no purpose except he takes pleasure in humiliating Europeans. At least Trump is transactional. He and his family expect to make a lot of money out of Russia.
I wouldn't say the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a win for China. It wasn't what they wanted but they have so far avoided being dragged into it.
There is another excellent long article for SMO enthusiasts in the NYT this morning - available via the paywall busting technology of your choice.
It's doesn't tell much that seasoned observers of matters in the Donyetskiy Bassein didn't already know but it's well written and entertaining.
- Hegseth is a craven fucking bootlicker who just wants to please Trump even when it's not apparent what exactly would please Trump. - Kellog is a cold war dinosaur who should have been pensioned off and let nowhere near the SMO. I didn't know the Russians had tried to assassinate him at an embassy dinner with a lethal injection. Fucking LOL. - Zelenskiy, as we already know, doesn't listen to anybody and sporadically fucks himself and by extension Ukraine by not doing so. - All of Trump's court eunuchs (Lutnick, that lanky cum stain Jared, etc.) run independent and competing foreign policies. - Trump is Trump. - The only person who seems to have a clear eyed strategy in the whole farrago is Just Dance. He thinks aiding Ukraine only helps Europe and is a complete misallocation of resources that should be going to the Pacific. He's probably right in strictly instrumental terms.
Is the JD view correct? Because right now, the only winner from the Ukraine war is China, which is increasingly reducing Russia to vassal status
JD Vance is not correct. His policy on Ukraine, Russia and Europe generally serves no purpose except he takes pleasure in humiliating Europeans. At least Trump is transactional. He and his family expect to make a lot of money out of Russia.
I wouldn't say the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a win for China. It wasn't what they wanted but they have so far avoided being dragged into it.
There is another excellent long article for SMO enthusiasts in the NYT this morning - available via the paywall busting technology of your choice.
It's doesn't tell much that seasoned observers of matters in the Donyetskiy Bassein didn't already know but it's well written and entertaining.
- Hegseth is a craven fucking bootlicker who just wants to please Trump even when it's not apparent what exactly would please Trump. - Kellog is a cold war dinosaur who should have been pensioned off and let nowhere near the SMO. I didn't know the Russians had tried to assassinate him at an embassy dinner with a lethal injection. Fucking LOL. - Zelenskiy, as we already know, doesn't listen to anybody and sporadically fucks himself and by extension Ukraine by not doing so. - All of Trump's court eunuchs (Lutnick, that lanky cum stain Jared, etc.) run independent and competing foreign policies. - Trump is Trump. - The only person who seems to have a clear eyed strategy in the whole farrago is Just Dance. He thinks aiding Ukraine only helps Europe and is a complete misallocation of resources that should be going to the Pacific. He's probably right in strictly instrumental terms.
Is the JD view correct? Because right now, the only winner from the Ukraine war is China, which is increasingly reducing Russia to vassal status
If you argue that the Europeans are insular and unreliable allies then it's arguable, in that the US wouldn't expect any help from the Europeans in the Pacific either way and so fuck 'em.
But I tend to think that helping Ukraine to win would (a) create a new ally in Ukraine who could help the US in the future and, (b) free up Britain, at least, from the worries of European defence to help the US in the Pacific. Plus generally build confidence in democracies that they can stand up to dictatorships and win.
Maybe (b) is not so much a factor, because Britain's aircraft carriers aren't much use defending against Russia, so they will be available to become a missile target in the Pacific either way for all the good that will achieve.
I think the most important benefit of a Ukrainian victory with US assistance would be that it would create deterrence value against China attacking Taiwan. That even makes a case for the US air force intervening directly in the Ukraine War to achieve a rapid victory.
I think there are two reasonable self-interested positions for the United States on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. One is to see it as an attack on liberal democracy and the rule of law and therefore an attack on American hegemony. The US in this case should directly support Ukraine against Russia.
The other is to decide Europe is not our circus, not our monkeys. Europe can sort out the Ukraine mess itself. China is the US' biggest threat so it focuses its efforts there. The US supports the Europeans diplomatically and with intelligence but isn't otherwise involved.
Undermining its erstwhile allies for no benefit to itself is not in the US interest in my view.
..On December 27, 2025, numerous media outlets—Ukrainian, Russian, and international sources (e.g., Wikipedia, Euromaidan Press, Kyiv Independent, Russian propaganda channels)—reported the death of the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), Denis Kapustin (also known as Denis Nikitin or White Rex). He was reportedly killed in combat in the Zaporizhzhia region by a Russian FPV drone attack. The RDK itself initially confirmed this in an official statement.
Today, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (GUR) released a video in which Kyrylo Budanov (head of the GUR) personally greets Denis Kapustin with the words, "Congratulations on your return!" and congratulates him and the GUR team.
According to the official statement from the GUR (Ukrainian Special Forces), this was a planned disinformation operation, prepared over a month in advance:
- Russian special services had offered a reward of $500,000 for the assassination of Kapustin (Kapustin is considered a terrorist in Russia and has been sentenced to life imprisonment multiple times in absentia).
- The GUR team (under the command of "Timur") successfully deceived the Russians, staged the assassination, and collected the money. 😂😂😂
- Kapustin is alive, safe in Ukraine, and preparing for further operations.
- The identities of the Russian masterminds and executors were revealed.
Budanov praised the operation as a complete success: The Russian services were "fooled," and the money received will now be used to strengthen Ukrainian special forces... https://x.com/jurgen_nauditt/status/2006715072047976774
Yes, @rcs1000. Me, @viewcode . Years ago. It's one of the better of his (China Mieville) standalone novels, although I think his best remains "The City And The City" in that regard. I remember liking it (Embassytown) but for the life of me I can't remember why.
There is another excellent long article for SMO enthusiasts in the NYT this morning - available via the paywall busting technology of your choice.
It's doesn't tell much that seasoned observers of matters in the Donyetskiy Bassein didn't already know but it's well written and entertaining.
- Hegseth is a craven fucking bootlicker who just wants to please Trump even when it's not apparent what exactly would please Trump. - Kellog is a cold war dinosaur who should have been pensioned off and let nowhere near the SMO. I didn't know the Russians had tried to assassinate him at an embassy dinner with a lethal injection. Fucking LOL. - Zelenskiy, as we already know, doesn't listen to anybody and sporadically fucks himself and by extension Ukraine by not doing so. - All of Trump's court eunuchs (Lutnick, that lanky cum stain Jared, etc.) run independent and competing foreign policies. - Trump is Trump. - The only person who seems to have a clear eyed strategy in the whole farrago is Just Dance. He thinks aiding Ukraine only helps Europe and is a complete misallocation of resources that should be going to the Pacific. He's probably right in strictly instrumental terms.
Is the JD view correct? Because right now, the only winner from the Ukraine war is China, which is increasingly reducing Russia to vassal status
JD Vance is not correct. His policy on Ukraine, Russia and Europe generally serves no purpose except he takes pleasure in humiliating Europeans. At least Trump is transactional. He and his family expect to make a lot of money out of Russia.
I wouldn't say the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a win for China. It wasn't what they wanted but they have so far avoided being dragged into it.
Vance is just an arse. That's all.
An interesting party game is to identify if there's anything, anything at all, that JD Vance, dogmatist always willing to share an opinion, actually believes in, unless it's to progress his career.
There is another excellent long article for SMO enthusiasts in the NYT this morning - available via the paywall busting technology of your choice.
It's doesn't tell much that seasoned observers of matters in the Donyetskiy Bassein didn't already know but it's well written and entertaining.
- Hegseth is a craven fucking bootlicker who just wants to please Trump even when it's not apparent what exactly would please Trump. - Kellog is a cold war dinosaur who should have been pensioned off and let nowhere near the SMO. I didn't know the Russians had tried to assassinate him at an embassy dinner with a lethal injection. Fucking LOL. - Zelenskiy, as we already know, doesn't listen to anybody and sporadically fucks himself and by extension Ukraine by not doing so. - All of Trump's court eunuchs (Lutnick, that lanky cum stain Jared, etc.) run independent and competing foreign policies. - Trump is Trump. - The only person who seems to have a clear eyed strategy in the whole farrago is Just Dance. He thinks aiding Ukraine only helps Europe and is a complete misallocation of resources that should be going to the Pacific. He's probably right in strictly instrumental terms.
Is the JD view correct? Because right now, the only winner from the Ukraine war is China, which is increasingly reducing Russia to vassal status
JD Vance is not correct. His policy on Ukraine, Russia and Europe generally serves no purpose except he takes pleasure in humiliating Europeans. At least Trump is transactional. He and his family expect to make a lot of money out of Russia.
I wouldn't say the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a win for China. It wasn't what they wanted but they have so far avoided being dragged into it.
Yes, Vance has a real hillbilly sized chip on his shoulder when dealing with Europeans. He is jealous of a class above him, which may be why he got on so well with Lammy. Vance doesn't see Lammy as part of that European elite, and I think Lammy has a similar chip on his shoulder.
Vance is a chameleon in human form, a sort of Talented Mr Ripley. I think he is even more susceptible to flattery than Trump. Getting him onside is probably mostly a matter of getting him some red carpet type treatment next time he comes here.
I watched the first of a twenty four part series about the Iron Curtain earlier. It was on the BBC in 1998, and narrated by Kenneth Branagh. One thing that struck me immediately was the use of the past tense to describe what had happened, rather than the modern trend of using the present, which I find really irritating
There is another excellent long article for SMO enthusiasts in the NYT this morning - available via the paywall busting technology of your choice.
It's doesn't tell much that seasoned observers of matters in the Donyetskiy Bassein didn't already know but it's well written and entertaining.
- Hegseth is a craven fucking bootlicker who just wants to please Trump even when it's not apparent what exactly would please Trump. - Kellog is a cold war dinosaur who should have been pensioned off and let nowhere near the SMO. I didn't know the Russians had tried to assassinate him at an embassy dinner with a lethal injection. Fucking LOL. - Zelenskiy, as we already know, doesn't listen to anybody and sporadically fucks himself and by extension Ukraine by not doing so. - All of Trump's court eunuchs (Lutnick, that lanky cum stain Jared, etc.) run independent and competing foreign policies. - Trump is Trump. - The only person who seems to have a clear eyed strategy in the whole farrago is Just Dance. He thinks aiding Ukraine only helps Europe and is a complete misallocation of resources that should be going to the Pacific. He's probably right in strictly instrumental terms.
Is the JD view correct? Because right now, the only winner from the Ukraine war is China, which is increasingly reducing Russia to vassal status
JD Vance is not correct. His policy on Ukraine, Russia and Europe generally serves no purpose except he takes pleasure in humiliating Europeans. At least Trump is transactional. He and his family expect to make a lot of money out of Russia.
I wouldn't say the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a win for China. It wasn't what they wanted but they have so far avoided being dragged into it.
Yes, Vance has a real hillbilly sized chip on his shoulder when dealing with Europeans. He is jealous of a class above him, which may be why he got on so well with Lammy. Vance doesn't see Lammy as part of that European elite, and I think Lammy has a similar chip on his shoulder.
Vance is a chameleon in human form, a sort of Talented Mr Ripley. I think he is even more susceptible to flattery than Trump. Getting him onside is probably mostly a matter of getting him some red carpet type treatment next time he comes here.
There is another excellent long article for SMO enthusiasts in the NYT this morning - available via the paywall busting technology of your choice.
It's doesn't tell much that seasoned observers of matters in the Donyetskiy Bassein didn't already know but it's well written and entertaining.
- Hegseth is a craven fucking bootlicker who just wants to please Trump even when it's not apparent what exactly would please Trump. - Kellog is a cold war dinosaur who should have been pensioned off and let nowhere near the SMO. I didn't know the Russians had tried to assassinate him at an embassy dinner with a lethal injection. Fucking LOL. - Zelenskiy, as we already know, doesn't listen to anybody and sporadically fucks himself and by extension Ukraine by not doing so. - All of Trump's court eunuchs (Lutnick, that lanky cum stain Jared, etc.) run independent and competing foreign policies. - Trump is Trump. - The only person who seems to have a clear eyed strategy in the whole farrago is Just Dance. He thinks aiding Ukraine only helps Europe and is a complete misallocation of resources that should be going to the Pacific. He's probably right in strictly instrumental terms.
Is the JD view correct? Because right now, the only winner from the Ukraine war is China, which is increasingly reducing Russia to vassal status
JD Vance is not correct. His policy on Ukraine, Russia and Europe generally serves no purpose except he takes pleasure in humiliating Europeans. At least Trump is transactional. He and his family expect to make a lot of money out of Russia.
I wouldn't say the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a win for China. It wasn't what they wanted but they have so far avoided being dragged into it.
Yes, Vance has a real hillbilly sized chip on his shoulder when dealing with Europeans. He is jealous of a class above him, which may be why he got on so well with Lammy. Vance doesn't see Lammy as part of that European elite, and I think Lammy has a similar chip on his shoulder.
Vance is a chameleon in human form, a sort of Talented Mr Ripley. I think he is even more susceptible to flattery than Trump. Getting him onside is probably mostly a matter of getting him some red carpet type treatment next time he comes here.
Yes, @rcs1000. Me, @viewcode . Years ago. It's one of the better of his (China Mieville) standalone novels, although I think his best remains "The City And The City" in that regard. I remember liking it (Embassytown) but for the life of me I can't remember why.
I loved Perdido Street Station, really liked The Scar, and loved the premise of The City and The City, but felt it didn't quite achieve its potential as a novel.
There is another excellent long article for SMO enthusiasts in the NYT this morning - available via the paywall busting technology of your choice.
It's doesn't tell much that seasoned observers of matters in the Donyetskiy Bassein didn't already know but it's well written and entertaining.
- Hegseth is a craven fucking bootlicker who just wants to please Trump even when it's not apparent what exactly would please Trump. - Kellog is a cold war dinosaur who should have been pensioned off and let nowhere near the SMO. I didn't know the Russians had tried to assassinate him at an embassy dinner with a lethal injection. Fucking LOL. - Zelenskiy, as we already know, doesn't listen to anybody and sporadically fucks himself and by extension Ukraine by not doing so. - All of Trump's court eunuchs (Lutnick, that lanky cum stain Jared, etc.) run independent and competing foreign policies. - Trump is Trump. - The only person who seems to have a clear eyed strategy in the whole farrago is Just Dance. He thinks aiding Ukraine only helps Europe and is a complete misallocation of resources that should be going to the Pacific. He's probably right in strictly instrumental terms.
Is the JD view correct? Because right now, the only winner from the Ukraine war is China, which is increasingly reducing Russia to vassal status
If you argue that the Europeans are insular and unreliable allies then it's arguable, in that the US wouldn't expect any help from the Europeans in the Pacific either way and so fuck 'em.
But I tend to think that helping Ukraine to win would (a) create a new ally in Ukraine who could help the US in the future and, (b) free up Britain, at least, from the worries of European defence to help the US in the Pacific. Plus generally build confidence in democracies that they can stand up to dictatorships and win.
Maybe (b) is not so much a factor, because Britain's aircraft carriers aren't much use defending against Russia, so they will be available to become a missile target in the Pacific either way for all the good that will achieve.
I think the most important benefit of a Ukrainian victory with US assistance would be that it would create deterrence value against China attacking Taiwan. That even makes a case for the US air force intervening directly in the Ukraine War to achieve a rapid victory.
Ask yourself what your opponent doesn't want you to do. In the case of China I don't think they want the US to support Ukraine and defeat Russia. That does create opportunities for them but a Russia that is no longer a bulwark against the west leaves China isolated.
Yes, @rcs1000. Me, @viewcode . Years ago. It's one of the better of his (China Mieville) standalone novels, although I think his best remains "The City And The City" in that regard. I remember liking it (Embassytown) but for the life of me I can't remember why.
I notice the Guardian has chose this moment to publish a piece by the Iranian foreign minister. I wonder if they will give a right of reply to an Iranian dissident.
The Iranian FM's call to the West to engage with Iran might suddenly be topical, but not necessarily in the way his regime would like.
In the least surprising news ever, Usman Khawaja has announced he will be retiring after the Sydney Test.
As the current series has been disappointingly short, I've been trying to watch highlights of the 2010/11 series on YouTube. The available vids aren't great, annoyingly jumping large segments. Overall impression is that the standard of test batting has deteriorated dramatically in 15 years.
Comments
But I tend to think that helping Ukraine to win would (a) create a new ally in Ukraine who could help the US in the future and, (b) free up Britain, at least, from the worries of European defence to help the US in the Pacific. Plus generally build confidence in democracies that they can stand up to dictatorships and win.
Maybe (b) is not so much a factor, because Britain's aircraft carriers aren't much use defending against Russia, so they will be available to become a missile target in the Pacific either way for all the good that will achieve.
I think the most important benefit of a Ukrainian victory with US assistance would be that it would create deterrence value against China attacking Taiwan. That even makes a case for the US air force intervening directly in the Ukraine War to achieve a rapid victory.
If I can just learn how to say the new motto..
https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/roles/catering-services-rating
Bloody hell, would the Russians have really tried to kill him in Washington DC? It's not like he was a major player, was he?
I'm obscurely reminded of my father's tales of when his ship was in Pompey at holiday time when the rest of the crew were given just enough leave to go home if they lived somewhere godforsaken but easy like Tooting or Gosport. The residue from Scotland, Isle of Man, etc. had to stay on board but were given extra good meals by the remaining hash-slingers who felt it was in their own interests to do their best.
I’m off to bed to watch the darts.
Both of the AIs got the (real life) joke immediately, and told me how clever I was to make it at that moment (which I shared on PB)
I reckon that's quite good AI, to get the sound of a nonsensical Spoonerism of the Bees Knees
I am sure I have told you I am the only living man who has ever burned a salad.
Yes, really.
Several times.
It's odd.
Both deeply ludicrous, and at the same time, strangely credible.
So a bit like F1.
I wouldn't say the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a win for China. It wasn't what they wanted but they have so far avoided being dragged into it.
That's all.
The other is to decide Europe is not our circus, not our monkeys. Europe can sort out the Ukraine mess itself. China is the US' biggest threat so it focuses its efforts there. The US supports the Europeans diplomatically and with intelligence but isn't otherwise involved.
Undermining its erstwhile allies for no benefit to itself is not in the US interest in my view.
Secret Traitor is a super addition.
And Roxy and Jade are gorgeous.
..On December 27, 2025, numerous media outlets—Ukrainian, Russian, and international sources (e.g., Wikipedia, Euromaidan Press, Kyiv Independent, Russian propaganda channels)—reported the death of the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), Denis Kapustin (also known as Denis Nikitin or White Rex). He was reportedly killed in combat in the Zaporizhzhia region by a Russian FPV drone attack. The RDK itself initially confirmed this in an official statement.
Today, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (GUR) released a video in which Kyrylo Budanov (head of the GUR) personally greets Denis Kapustin with the words, "Congratulations on your return!" and congratulates him and the GUR team.
According to the official statement from the GUR (Ukrainian Special Forces), this was a planned disinformation operation, prepared over a month in advance:
- Russian special services had offered a reward of $500,000 for the assassination of Kapustin (Kapustin is considered a terrorist in Russia and has been sentenced to life imprisonment multiple times in absentia).
- The GUR team (under the command of "Timur") successfully deceived the Russians, staged the assassination, and collected the money. 😂😂😂
- Kapustin is alive, safe in Ukraine, and preparing for further operations.
- The identities of the Russian masterminds and executors were revealed.
Budanov praised the operation as a complete success: The Russian services were "fooled," and the money received will now be used to strengthen Ukrainian special forces...
https://x.com/jurgen_nauditt/status/2006715072047976774
Yatata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9W0kG138IA
Pause
This is probably not as helpful as you wanted. Still, here's a quick BookTube review by a woman in skull pyjamas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KyXbqQF9WA
I am the Secret Traitor.
But Slebs + Secret Traitor will be fun!
Vance is a chameleon in human form, a sort of Talented Mr Ripley. I think he is even more susceptible to flattery than Trump. Getting him onside is probably mostly a matter of getting him some red carpet type treatment next time he comes here.
https://x.com/DPMcBride/status/2006830800994750546?s=20
https://x.com/DPMcBride/status/2006830835203477524?s=20
That might inter alia be good news for Ukraine
I got bored with Iron Council.
I can't decide on Railsea or Embassytown next.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/30/iran-donald-trump-real-talks-both-win
To your point, I should add I doubt many dissidents would disagree with his argument.
Overall impression is that the standard of test batting has deteriorated dramatically in 15 years.