a pod of dolphins, a flock of geese, a herd of cattle, and a murder of crows…
Casualty Figures
(Forbes) On Monday, a leaked document from the Russian Ministry of Defense revealed the Russian Federation’s casualties in Ukraine in 2025. The report provided a breakdown of Russian deaths and injuries by each Russian military group operating in Ukraine. The information, which was published by a nongovernmental organization in Ukraine that helps members of the Russian Armed Forces safely surrender to Ukraine, revealed that the Russians have sustained over 280,000 casualties since January.
An independent estimate, calculated by Meduza and the BBC Russian Service, found that the Russians have had roughly 219,000 casualties in calendar year 2025. These reports suggest that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been devastating.
For nearly four years, the Russian Federation has launched its full-scale military incursion into Ukraine. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians have been killed, and one-fourth of Ukraine’s population is displaced. Several Ukrainian cities and towns have been destroyed, and economists estimate that it will cost over $1 trillion to rebuild Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russia has lost tens of billions of dollars in military equipment and hardware. Two-thirds of Russia’s pre-invasion tank force has been destroyed, and the Ukrainians have sunk or damaged nearly half of Russia’s naval fleet on the Black Sea. It is also estimated that the Russian Federation has incurred hundreds of billions of dollars in losses due to international sanctions. Aside from these material and financial losses, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has significantly impacted Russia’s servicemembers.
According to The Guardian, the Russian Federation has sustained over one million casualties since the start of the full-scale military incursion into Ukraine in February 2022. The British Ministry of Defence, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies have independently verified these casualty figures as well.
The same assessment by The Guardian found that “Russian fatalities are estimated to be five times higher than the combined death toll from all Soviet and Russian wars between the end of the Second World War.” What is the impact of these casualties on the Russian military? How else has the Russian invasion of Ukraine impacted demographics within the Russian Federation?”
Bullet Points:
** (from CDRSAL – on Stars retirement parties) From Fat Leonard to the former VCNO, I think we have plenty of evidence that the power and prestige that comes with 3 or 4 stars brings dangers to the mortal human’s perspective on themselves. Few believe we have too much humility in our ranks of General and Flag Officers. Some pomp and ceremony is fine and a good tradition. Still, ostentatious displays that seem a cross between a mega-church’s theater-kid praise team over doing it and China’s Victory Day parade seem off-frequency and unhealthy.
(VM Commentary) I’ve planned and attended more than a few retirement parties. I’ve also served as a toastmaster and roastmaster. As long as tickets are sold and the sale amount meets the budget, you’re on firm ground. Typically, the ticket price covers lunch or dinner and a small parting gift. Taxpayer money (in the case of government retirements) is never appropriately applied in these situations. In the case of government retirements, there are often plaques presented. Presenters are given a moment to roast or present. Sometimes there are a lot of plaques (I have a couple dozen myself), and they are displayed on a table without the need for a salutation. I’ve attended some that take the form of a wake. Others are more socially dignified. It’s up to the people involved.
** The most liberal white woman in the world.
** (zerohedge) Is President Trump hedging on selling long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine? Will the Ukes use them to level the Kremlin? It’s a sticky wicket. It’s only a matter of time before the Ukes build drones that can do that without assistance from the US. It’s an on-ramp to WW3 if the US is supplying the missiles.
** (Mail) Fears of a coming little ice age in Europe? So much for global warming. A North Atlantic current is collapsing. Clutch your pearls and hold on because the climate has never been cooler than it is now…not ever. (snark)
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which encompasses the Gulf Stream, may shut down after 2100, according to a recent study, potentially leading to severe climate impacts, including colder winters and drier summers in Europe. While the AMOC has been weakening, the timeline for a potential collapse varies, with some models suggesting it could happen sooner. A complete shutdown of the AMOC would be a major climate tipping point, severely disrupting global weather patterns.
** The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that 2025 will see record-level natural gas consumption, averaging about 91.4 billion cubic feet per day — up roughly 1% from current levels. While natural gas use in the electric power sector is expected to decline modestly (as coal, solar, and wind gain share), increases in residential and commercial usage are projected to more than offset that decline. The EIA anticipates that consumption will soften somewhat in 2026, primarily due to milder winter weather and lower demand for heating and cooling.
** Are you in Hell, or are you in an HR meeting? How tough is it to tell the difference, or are they simply the same?
** Iraqi Shia nationalist cleric Muqtada al Sadr is reportedly planning to make an unspecified “move” regarding the upcoming November 2025 Iraqi parliamentary elections that will not cause “chaos or escalation,” according to a former Sadrist parliamentarian. The former parliamentarian’s statement suggests that Sadr does not plan to incite protests surrounding the elections.
** I don’t need to justify anything I do to you. Go feed your cats.
** Basic tips for illegal aliens who wish to avoid the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
** Big Mike Obama asserts that slaves built the United States. Is that the case?
The Great Wall of China
There is a rumor that you can see it from space, but that’s not true. Some sections of the original Great Wall were rebuilt for tourists, such as the segment I’m standing on (above).
Mao’s Children
(h/t Claudio and Junhua Zhang) Xi Jinping is part of China’s so-called “red second generation,” or “the Prince Party”, referring to a very privileged group of kids of revolutionary veterans. Currently, the 200 families of this elite group control 80% of the nation’s wealth, effectively forming the foundation of China’s “socialist” system—though whether it truly qualifies as socialism is another matter entirely.
In China, there is a saying: “The revolutionary veterans seized China with their lives, and their red offspring are eligible to protect it.”
The active “Prince Party” members either firmly hold government key positions or are in business, mostly in big SOEs, which are in the upstream of the national economy. For Xi Jinping, ensuring that this group’s privileges endure indefinitely is one of the key factors determining whether he can remain in power.
Many members of the Red Second Generation participated in the military parade held in early September 2025. This group photo captures them on the Tiananmen Rooftop. Among them, also the brother of Xi Jinping (see picture – in the middle of the second row). If one studies China’s politics without understanding this group of people, then they can not comprehend how China works.
Ironically, most of these so-called “red second, third, or even fourth generation” elites hold foreign passports or residency, with their fortunes safely parked in the extremely “capitalist” countries that they themselves denounce.
A Montage of Antifa Booking Photos from ICE
Ok, I agree, they’re butt ugly. Put the masks back on.
Blue State Regulatory Overreach and AI
(zerohedge) Sacks also pointed to Colorado’s SB24-205, the Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligence law passed in May 2024, as a harbinger of things to come. The law bans “algorithmic discrimination,” defined as unlawful differential treatment or disparate impact based on protected characteristics, such as age, race, sex, or disability. Both AI developers and businesses deploying the technology could face prosecution by the state attorney general if decisions yield disparate impacts, even from race-neutral criteria such as credit ratings in mortgage applications.
In a practical example, Sacks illustrated how a loan officer using neutral financial data could still be deemed discriminatory if outcomes disproportionately affect protected groups, holding developers liable despite the outputs being truthful. “The only way that I see for model developers to comply with this law is to build in a new DEI layer into the models to basically somehow prevent models from giving outputs that might have a disparate impact on protected groups,” Sacks warned. “So, we’re back to woke AI again.”
Sacks played a pivotal role in shaping President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at combating “woke AI” by ensuring federal procurement prioritizes ideologically neutral and truth-seeking AI models over those infused with biases like DEI, critical race theory, or transgenderism.
Identify the Aircraft
1
2
The project produced only two prototypes after an estimated $7 billion investment. Despite its advanced features, such as internal weapons bays and a low-radar signature, the program was deemed unaffordable and unnecessary in the post-Cold War era, although some of its technology was reportedly used in other aircraft.
3
Identify the Armor
4
Identify the Ships
5 & 6
(hint – different nationalities — you have some hull numbers to play with)
Parting Shot
h/t Al Kirk
When you need to sterilize the perimeter.
There is an ammo wagon, optional equipment, that can be towed for sustained fire.
End
2 is RAH-66 Comanche
3 is Sikorsky S-97 Raider ( the Chinese have copied it).
The Chinese copied the form, but have they made it functional?
1 – USAAF Northrop P-61 Black Widow
2 – US Army Boeing–Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche
3 – US Army Sikorsky–Boeing SB-1 Defiant
4 – British Challenger 3
5 – Royal Canadian Navy Halifax class frigate – Vancouver I think?
6 – Japan JS Fuyuzuki DD-118
Well done!
Surly?
Missing in Action
Bondi – political types have been saying nice sound bites for the camera, probably for as long as there has been TV. It would be nice to get some action to go along with the noise.
Political theater.
Waste of time as nothing changes to hold the reprobates and criminals in nice suit accountable.
The system itself (Constitutionally) isn’t designed to shield them, but as applied, it certainly is.
Where do you start when you can’t trust many of your own people. And which court do you prosecute any charges in? Seriously, find a ‘follows the letter of the law’ judge in the DC metro area.
While nice sounding TV chatter could be considered battlefield prep, they still need to go ahead with the action. If not, all their doing is celebrating the mental victories that only occur inside their brains…allowing them to be legends in their own minds. Seems to be a design flaw in political types.
A sounder of pigs… mobile swine targets here in Texas. I have many pounds of them in the freezer.
You have an abundance of sounders in Texas.
If you only have a single crow, it’s only an attempted murder .
Quote the raven (and the backhoe), “Nevermore.”
😄
An abscess of Senators.
.
Many years ago, as a young NCO, my platoon was flown from Fort Wainwright, Alaska to Fort Richardson to represent our battalion at the retirement ceremony of some general I’d never heard of him before. Whatever. A Chinook helicopter was provided for our transportation and a refueling stop at the berg of Cantwell was required approximately halfway. There was to be a flyover by Army aviation as part of the ceremony. It was late arriving, but they flew over anyway despite the ceremony having ended and the alleged dignitaries having already departed. We were standing around waiting for the bus when they went over, a couple slick-ship Huey’s and a couple of Cobra’s, a Chinook or two and a flying crane. Made a hell of a racket. Maybe the retiree heard it at the O-Club; presumably the orificer responsible for coordination heard about it later in a somewhat different manner. Oooopsie!
A pustule of Antifa…yeah, I like the sound of that.
When Gen McPeak retired in 1994, a C-5 Galaxy was only one of several aircraft in the background for his retirement ceremony. This included flying said aircraft from Dover AFB to Andrews AFB, two nights, meals, and vehicles for the air and maintenance crews, and standby aircraft at Dover. I was a member of that fateful crew. Who paid for that ceremony? Donations? I think not…
I remember vividly fighting for pre-McPeak-designed flight suits and having to purchase several Dress Blue Uniforms when the materials and patterns changed quickly under his leadership.
Elements of the RAH-64 look somewhat similar to the helicopter that didn’t come back from the Bin Laden capture. Wonders never cease.
That Parting Montage…let’s just call them a Gaggle of Domestic Terrorists…emphasis on ‘gag’. Certainly not the best and brightest…but hey, they likely did get degrees in Gender Fluid Studies, Fundamentals in Anarchy, or Activist Basket Weaving on a Rent-A-Crowd budget for down times.
***
How much does the Consumer Protection Act actually protect consumers? Not much, if anything…infact, it made things worse (well, except for torte loy-yer bank accounts). Yet, states like Colorado that are driving off the cliff of stupidity are doing, there is constant meddling by those who are not smarter than the rest of us while fiddling with our stuff, especially ‘buyer beware’…which attorneys think shouldn’t exist as they strive for a ‘no risk’ life for the very people they despise.
***
Hilux with an Al-You-Min-Eeum (as The Motherland say it) flatbed with drop-down sides…could come in handy as a versatile vehicle, an accessory plug-n-play depending on what one is up against, like a gaggle of domestic terrorists.
Your comment brought to mind “a hive of bees” – beehive rounds fired from an 8″ howitzer at near point blank range. Cannister shot for the modern age.
I think it was Jerry Pournelle who envisioned computer controlled ground effect robots that would sit and wait while analyzing troop movement and communications. After identifying the ones giving orders they would fire up and do a kamikaze attack on the commanders. While not necessarily computer controlled(remote control?), I could see someone highly ticked off at the maddening crowd making some to do a run at Antifa.
I read a long short story about a world being attacked by a mercenary band looking to set up a home base. Said world had a retired soldier who’s previous job was basically to be a werewolf. Seen normal by day, kill by night. And not immediately. Identify those in the enemy organization who are linchpins and critical personnel. Not just competent officers, but that guy there in the motor pool who’s not in command or control yet does 90% of the diagnosis and critical repairs. Remove that guy and stuff just stops working. The mess tech who knows how to actually use the stoves and ovens. The, to riff off of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” telephone handset sanitizer. You know, the really critical people. Remove them, the organization falls apart. Kind of a more bloody version of the HR/EEOC office, but more humane too.
…then bring in the street sweepers to clean up the mess. Done!
(I am not a violent person…unless seriously provoked, but these misguided lunatics need a strict comeuppance, otherwise they’ll continue unabated…hence the ‘comment assist’. Of course, once in front a judge they can simply state they are ‘transitioning’, that’s apparently a get out of jail free card, as if we’re all playing Demented Monopoly.)
Speaking of the ChiComs…..
https://joehoft.com/breaking-unverified-report-claims-chinas-president-xi-suffered-a-stroke-in-critical-condition/
Wait three days. See who has disappeared. Yeah, Putin’s pulled this maneuver about every year. Then again, so has Xi. And Rocket-Man Kim.
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I’ll believe it when I see the body with the head disconnected, a stake driven through the heart, holy coins on the eyes and a holy wafer on the tongue. Else I will remain skeptical.
X2 Let me go to the viewing. I’ll bring in a 4″ needle and drive it through Xi’s eye to see if he’s bluffing.
A Montage of Antifa Booking Photos from ICE
Where is the DEI? All look to be Caucasian.
AN OVERSIGHT – I forgot to mention the Battle of Tours, that took place on October 10, 732. At the Battle of Tours, Frankish forces, led by Charles Martel, defeated the Umayyad Caliphate’s army, halting their advance into Western Europe. It was important because it halted the northward expansion of the Islamic empire, preserved Christianity as the dominant religion in Europe, and propelled Charles Martel’s family, the Carolingians, to greater power, laying the foundation for modern France – where they are doing their best to give the place back to the Muslims.
Along with the murder of crows, I believe a group of bridesmaids is called an envy. . .
Depends on the dress. (I think. Not that I’m reading such magazines or watching Hallmark movies, so a pure guess.)
Looks like a bomb factory in Tennessee blew up. Wonder what caused it.
global warming.
Racism
Tariffs.
Youse guys are too funny….
Regarding Russia’s casualty numbers, they had the population in WWI and WWII to absorb that percentage level of loss of population. Nowadays? Not so much. Will be interesting to see how bad it gets in the next few years.
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As to various Atlantic currents, that’s been a variation of “Weeesa gonn die” for since as long as I can remember. “Yurup’s gonna die” because no currents or something. Woooo. I’ll believe it when I see it.
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As to what the Mooch thinks, well, don’t care. He’s an idiot, and a liar.