The Crazy SOB Actually Did it!

[Rev. Powell]

Rev, how is your friend doing now? Hoping things have calmed down in Kyiv with the Russian withdrawal and redeployment.

Sadly (but not unexpectedly), I've been told that for reasons directly connected to my job I can't host a Ukrainian refugee, but we are still doing what we can to help out, sending over medical supplies and whatnot.

Since the Russians withdrew and they stopped bombing nightly, things appear to have returned to more of a normal routine. People are getting out more and socializing. Of course, every now and then they lob a few missiles her way. 

[Trevor]

One of our idiotic politicians here has now decided to go to the Ukraine on a "fact finding mission" 😳🤧💩😝

[claws]

and the 2022 Darwin Award goes to ...

[Alex]

I didn't read the article, but I saw something about Angelina Jolie visiting and being caught up in an air raid.

[Newt]

One of our idiotic politicians here has now decided to go to the Ukraine on a "fact finding mission" 😳🤧💩😝

I think the word is "gek"?  (Is "bossies" offensive?)

[Trevor]

and the 2022 Darwin Award goes to ...

[Trevor]

One of our idiotic politicians here has now decided to go to the Ukraine on a "fact finding mission" 😳🤧💩😝

I think the word is "gek"?  (Is "bossies" offensive?)

Gek is right: it means mad or crazy, while bossies [bushies] dates back to the war in Angola: many veterans of that war suffer the bush curse which is akin to PTSD.

For context, this is the idiot politician:

https://ewn.co.za/2022/05/02/what-are-you-doing-there-safricans-question-why-steenhuisen-visiting-ukraine

[Alex]

My favourite moment is about the 47 seconds mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tsyBj-lMj8

[Allhallowsday]

My favourite moment is about the 47 seconds mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tsyBj-lMj8

Y'mean the little dancing poo tin?  Hilarious.

[lester1/2jr]

interesting perspective from Dutch passenger today. He ultimately blamed Putin for the war, but pointed out that NATO really has nothing to gain by having Ukraine as a member. European take on them is mostly that they are incredibly corrupt.

He was very critical of biden, Macron, and other leaders who couldn't stop the clearly avoidable conflict  "this is what we pay them for" are they really world LEADERS if they can't rise to the occasion on such... occasions?

[Alex]

I agree with them being corrupt, but if your passenger can't see the value in having a country that is kicking Russia's arse in an alliance that was set up to basically defend against that same country, then there really is no hope for him.

[Rev. Powell]

I don't buy your passenger's premise that the conflict was "clearly avoidable."

[lester1/2jr]

kicking Russia's arse

I don't know about that


https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-troops-evacuate-mariupol-ceding-control-russia-2022-05-17/

[LilCerberus]

We're also running out of those javelin missiles, as well as stinger missiles.....
Lockheed Martin says it will take at least two years to resupply the number of javelins that have been used in Ukraine, and the stingers they've been using haven't been made in over a decade & the components are no longer available....

[Alex]

PMSL, did you actually read that article before posting it?

With lines like

More than 250 Ukrainian fighters surrendered to Russian forces at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol after weeks of desperate resistance, bringing an end to the most devastating siege of Russia's war in Ukraine and allowing President Vladimir Putin to claim a rare victory in his faltering campaign.

(Just so you know, capturing 250 troops, is not really a big deal in this size of a war).

Even as the Kremlin prepares to take full control of the ruins of Mariupol, it faces the growing prospect of defeat in its bid to conquer all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas because its badly mauled forces lack the manpower for significant advances

A few thousand defenders held up 5 full combat units for how long? Surrounded with no fresh supplies, no hope of reinforcement, defending a steelworks and holding up 5 full Russian combat units, tying up manpower the Russians badly need elsewhere. If you want to know what kind of effect a defeat like that can have, well I'll assume you are familiar with the story of the Alamo. I am willing to bet that the defenders of that plant will become legends in their country for holding out for so long against those odds.

Thanks for posting an article that backs me up on the Ukrainians kicking Russia's arse though. Not that I needed it, but thanks anyway.

In more good news for Ukrainian forces, they have pushed Russian forces outside of their country and reached the Russian border. This war has a long way to go and everything could still all change. Even if Ukrainian forces still keep winning, they will still experience setbacks like Mariupol but it is nice to see the good guys winning at the moment.