Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

you know it would seem like they would have cameras in every room in the white house and link up the find with somebody stashing it

Believe I heard today it was left in a cubby hole where people leave their stuff while on White House tours.

[Da Geezer]

Well, that would be what you would hear from your left-wing sources. The fact is that cameras are on 24/7 even in the alcove in the tiny library. They've run the film back and it was probably one of the staffers.

[Mike]

One thing is certain: someone is really bummed that they lost their cocaine.

[Jeff Buchanan]

The latest sell from whoever is selling it on any particular day - the British Defense Ministry, NATO, Ukrainian defense spokespersons - is that the effectiveness of Ukraine's counter-offensive that began in early June should not be judged by how much Russian occupied Ukrainian territory is regained. Most observers typical reaction to this is negative. However, it makes sense. Here's why:

The Russian army's defense in depth strategy, designed to hold on to what they've declared as Russian territory, is doctrinally sound. That territory includes Crimea (since 2014), most of the Luhansk Oblast, about 2/3 of the Donetsk Oblast, 2/3 of the Kherson Oblast and less than 2/3 of the Zaphorizia Oblast (since 02/2022). Journalists have published some very accurate maps, based on commercial satellite photographs, of the extent of Russian trenches, mine fields and "Dragon's Teeth" anti-tank obstacles. None of these are easily breached by large, sweeping, fast moving armored assaults without unacceptable losses.

The approach being taken by Ukrainian forces is to spread Russian troops and artillery as thinly as possible by conducting small scale attacks on multiple fronts (4 to be exact) that the Russians have to respond to or walk away from. Bakhmut, recently claimed occupied for the Russian Federation by Wagner PMC, is gradually being taken back by Ukraine with the Russians expending a lot of manpower, tanks and artillery to keep that from happening, exposing themselves in other areas they have to defend. Meanwhile, an extensive set of targets consisting of command posts, garrison or reserve troop concentrations, fuel depots and ammunition storage facilities are being meticulously targeted with good success at minimum cost in resources. All of this combined, makes it difficult to logistically support the Russian defense in depth strategy.

Every day that passes sees Russian forces, both material and personnel, being attrited at a faster rate than Ukraine is experiencing, with little potential for refilling the losses from mainland Russia or Crimea. That seems to be the hidden story here that is much more impactful than, say, for example, Russian missile attacks on civilian infrastructure. That gets a lot of press along with the attendant reporting on deaths and injuries from these. This get outsized in importance to a different reality that Russian propagandists want concealed. Russian prisoners have been carelessly used up by human wave attacks for little gain. Attempts to recruit soldiers from unknowing citizens of rural states is hampered by expanding information about deaths at the front and that many eligible men fled Russia at the first sign of wide-spread conscription. Key components of hi-tech weapons needed for building them are dwindling as a result of sanctions, notwithstanding Russia's ability to side step some of them. Armor and artillery losses can't be replaced fast enough.

Even now, keen observers, to include pro-Russian milbloggers, are expressing concerns about the Russian army's ability to defend the parts of Ukraine that Putin has declared as annexed. As a sign of that concern, just this week, Kremlin installed governors have expressed concerns about conducting planned referendums in September directly to Putin because of concerns of citizen safety in hot zones being selectively targeted by Ukraine's use of HIMARS, drones and French provided cruise missiles. It's going to take time but Putin is wrong about Russia's ability to outlast Ukraine and it's western allies. The combined replacement capacity of the EU, America and Great Briton are significantly greater than that of the Russian Federation and it's supporters - and China is one, according to the latest intel is, not supplying weapons or key hi-tech components to Russia.

[Hannibal]

TBH I don't know why that's even news. I figure the White House has been full of cokeheads since at least the 1970s.

[klondike]

I think MAGA is setting them up.

[Dr. Strangelove]

President DumDum, leader of the DumDums of America (DOA) shares his thoughts.

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[klondike]

Sounds like excellent detective work to me. The most obvious choice to pick from is the most obvious coke head in the family.

[Dr. Strangelove]

About a third of the way through All the Pretty Horses. Finding it a much easier read than Blood Meridian. Funnier too.

[AlabamAlum]

It’s a good read. Just don’t look for a true happy ending. And that’s true with just about everything Cormac wrote.

Also, do me a favor and make a commitment to never watch the abortion of a movie this was made into.

[iam416]

I thought Nic Cage was great in it.

[AlabamAlum]

Heh. Cage couldn’t have made it worse.

It was a good cast, just the wrong cast.

[THE_WIZARD_]

JFC

I can't believe I wasted 5 fucking minutes on this shit.

[iam416]

For the love of STFU, STFU.

[THE_WIZARD_]

EFZ, EFZ

Oh...were you talking to me? In that case...

EFZ & STFU.