Malcador

Mine clearing charges,but that isn't going to be easy with gunships and ATGMs everywhere. Well or maybe a lot of artillery.

Was wrong actually, the bits I read were in a NYT piece and with second hand sourcing - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/02/us/politics/ukraine-troops-counteroffensive-training.html / https://archive.is/UB0wI "But the Western-trained brigades received only four to six weeks of combined arms training, and units made several mistakes at the start of the counteroffensive in early June that set them back, according to U.S. officials and analysts who recently visited the front lines and spoke to Ukrainian troops and commanders. Some units failed to follow cleared paths and ran into mines. When a unit delayed a nighttime attack, an accompanying artillery bombardment to cover its advance went ahead as scheduled, tipping off the Russians." As Bernard would say, it's like one of those irregular verbs - I struggle against the odds, you're a complete muppet, as war goes. One of the more tedious things with the news and this war though.

The incidents I saw people talking about were about specific things - things like just poor planning meaning artillery wasn't ready, poor unit composition etc., and dumbo officers isn't really that unexpected (well unless you consumed only NA media since Feb 2022...). That stuff does happen - US had the screw up of Package Q and the Karbala attack, but is hardly NATO's fault. But yes, I suppose enough to go around, but I guess if it does falter (big if there I feel), there'll be some bitterness, heh. Western Diplomat chimes in https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/08/politics/ukraine-counteroffensive-us-briefings/index.html

Not sure why they had to copy WoW's affixes from Mythic for this. Goblins dropping a legendary guaranteed is nice, they seem exceptionally annoying to chase around this time.

The Internet was a mistake. Is hard to resist the hype on this game, hah. Never played either BG or BG 2, but I guess those aren't necessary for this one

I would say the blame for military failures is Ukraine's, at least specific ones. Ukraine soldiers on social media were complaining of some ****ups, for example. Also giving Western kit to new formations rather than veteran ones may be one. On Bakhmut it's funny to read some analysis that...poltical considerations may have trumped military ones! The horror. Not really the case here, sort of funny we just get a brief note on some missile strike by either side, or just the usual "it's hard going, they don't have air supremacy" type stuff. Ukraine themselves have said it's going slower than desired - https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/07/24/7412731/ - Chris Roberts should borrow that line though

Replaying Born Punk the game does go up a bit in my opinion for having a couple of different ways to solve the problems, will give them that. Still wouldn't pay more than $10 though. Maybe $11. Plodding along in D4 seasons, hit WT3 finally, now can do the tedious renown grind again !

Wigga android, great

Heh, but as I mentioned before I keep seeing comments here and there that lay the blame for any Ukrainian misstep with the West. Not even sure the video really has that much to bitch about, remarks about the offensive being slower than desired or expected were about but I don't see them around much. Also is bit much to be snarky to nations that give them the things they are being ****y with as well (Javelin, HIMARS, Storm Shadow, Patriot, Bradley.) Just very naive to expect ATACMS, Abrams and F-16s in their hundreds as well, when you consider the situation. At any rate, not very productive to engage in anyway as this officer points out (he seems credible, although bitches about Ukrainian generals alot)

Congrats on the kid, Shady.

Ukrainian command can do no wrong.

Well, that was short. Finished Born Punk and got the middle ending - not sure how I could get the good ending, I guess I need to suck up to the sociopathic AI more. Decent enough game, but definitely don't spend more than $10 on it.

Bran Moolenaar, the creator of vim.

Playing Born Punk, was cheap so decided to waste money on it. Decent enough game, is a modern one so isn't hard although I did get stuck on a musical puzle (because those are fun) and apparently there's a maze later which is disappointing. The android that talks like some white gangsta rap listener was grating, but I think I've left that character behind in the plot for now

Interesting BBC is showing combat footage of the drone strike. Guess they're in the marketing business.

Interesting claim by Kofman, he's been more cool blooded than most in talking on the war, that Bakhmut was a mixed bag for Ukraine. High kill ratio in their favour, but they had high quality units mauled fighting convicts and low quality Russian units.

Pretty much. Although people still seem to think 30 F-16s or something will win the war. Power of marketing and games I guess. Wonder how long it'll take for a "stab in the back" myth to arise if Ukraine doesn't achieve total victory.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/02/us/politics/ukraine-troops-counteroffensive-training.html "Biden administration officials had hoped the nine Western-trained brigades, some 36,000 troops, would show that the American way of warfare was superior to the Russian approach. While the Russians have a rigidly centralized command structure, the Americans taught the Ukrainians to empower senior enlisted soldiers to make quick decisions on the battlefield and to deploy combined arms tactics — synchronized attacks by infantry, armor and artillery forces. But the Western-trained brigades received only four to six weeks of combined arms training, and units made several mistakes at the start of the counteroffensive in early June that set them back, according to U.S. officials and analysts who recently visited the front lines and spoke to Ukrainian troops and commanders."

Double talk seems par for course with nations anyway. We kill people by drones, they commit terrorist acts, etc.

Doubt many are panicked, even if Poland is like the short guy telling everyone to hold him back. A more mundane possibility https://twitter.com/Hajun_BY/status/1686496814348824576

Two Belarusian helicopters entered Polish airspace then left, guess I was wrong, those Wagner guys may actually pose a danger.

Based on last time, probably something mundane like that, rather than something like nuking Kiev - https://www.rferl.org/a/kremlin-drone-attack-eu-warning-borrell-ukraine/32395001.html

We'll see, probably will be an interesting sell to Ukrainian people. Kasparov will have a stroke too, thinking of that, heh.