Mandy Lifeboats

I really need to add some historical facts. The USSR is said to have lost 27 million in WW2. A significant amount of those loses were inflicted by the USSR themselves. They killed their own troops who retreated, killed civilians and soldiers who surrendered to the Nazis, staged fight to the death defences that achieved nothing, staged reckless attacks with unnecessary deaths and prevented their own civilians leaving besieged cities. The USSR list 27 million because it was racing against the West to seize as much of Europe as they could. Millions of deaths meant nothing if they could seize land. Does that sound familiar? Russia is very quick to distance itself from the crimes of Stalin. "He was a Georgian." "That was the USSR not Russia." Yet Stalin is entombed in Moscow. Strange.

Germany said that it would send tanks when the rest of Europe did.

The rain, 4th July and in their home town.

Hmmmmmm............. NATO countries use standard ammunition calibres. In theory it allows countries to use one another's supplies. But the most recent additions to NATO are ex-Warsaw Pact Countries. These countries are still heavily dependent upon Soviet weapons and calibres. This has been good news for Ukraine. NATO has been able to supply Soviet weapons and ammunition along with standalone NATO systems. That has left some NATO countries in need of ex Soviet ammunition. They have taken the sensible option and decided to move to NATO compatible weapons instead. NATO has taken the sensible step of transferring its weapons from relatively safe countries to the ones on the Russian border who need them immediately. It really does not matter if the UK runs low on stocks of anti-tank missiles. We aren't going to need them to repel Russian tanks. Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Romania et al can achieve that on our behalf if they become necessary.

I disagree. Over the past 20 years the focus has been fighting irregular forces/terrorists. But it’s also been the development of stealth and high mobility weapons. Russia is presently being held by Ukraine and surplus NATO weapons that aren’t particularly powerful in comparison to what is available. In my experience, NATO tactics against USSR/Russia are the same today as they were 30 years ago. Let Russia advance, take control of the skies and shred the Russian supply lines. NATO arms itself accordingly. That’s why we have stealth fighters, stealth bombers, highly effective antitank weapons for infantry, etc. None of those weapons were developed to fight terrorists. They were designed to fight China and/or Russia.

I moved away from Birmingham 20 years ago. Since I moved away I have been back a couple of times a year for various reasons. I visited today for the first time since COVID. The city has really come a long way in that time. It has the feeling of a vibrant and growing city.

I went to see Grayson Perry's Artclub at the Birmingham MAC today. Well worth a few quid. Have a look if you can.

Warcrime. Not even Russia deserves that.

The difference in casualty numbers isn’t purely propaganda. It’s also due to the way Russia (and most armies) deal with battlefield casualties. Until bodies are recovered many soldiers will simply be listed as “missing”. They will be discreetly reclassified to dead at some point in the future. The majority of dead from the Moskva are still listed as “missing” even though it’s over 6 months since they “disappeared”.

Russia has built 3 air defence lines in between Moscow and Ukraine. That has taken 2000 skilled troops away from the battlefront. They have also been forced to utilise much of the equipment that was allocated to defending Russian airspace from NATO. How the tables have turned. Ukraine now poses more of a threat to Moscow than NATO. Hilarious.

Russia would need to fully mobilise its male population and leave huge amounts of Russia completely undefended. They would literally need to use everything they have got AND hope NATO stay out of the conflict. That will not happen. The loses would be horrendous and it would ruin Russia’s economy and military for decades to come. NATO could probably prevent it happening using air power alone. Russia’s future is bleak. They are fighting an actual war in Ukraine and an economic war against countries that are much richer. But the cherry on the cake is that China isn’t really supporting Russia. In fact some would say China are exploiting Russia for cheap gas and oil. Russia’s still maintaining its public bravado but it’s slowly softening its standpoints. At the start of the war Putin threaten “immediate and unprecedented action against any country that interferes”. NATO called his bluff. Putin said there would be no mobilisation. There was. Putin said they would only accept payments in rubles. That policy has quietly gone. Putin threatened Sweden and Finland not to join NATO. They immediately did. Putin then said he wasn’t bothered whether they joined or not as long as they didn’t have nukes based there. But the most telling factor is that Russia started the war to denazify and demilitarise Ukraine. That aim has changed numerous times. It’s now a war to defend itself against NATO. They are also demanding “security guarantees” from NATO. That’s a desperate attempt to portray this as a victory to the Russian people. In summary - Russia is absolutely f****d.

Russian social media is in meltdown at the moment. Thousands of these leaflets have appeared in Moscow. They the map co-ordinates of prominent military and government buildings.

Russia has quietly announced that it will now accept foreign currency payments for its gas supplies. That’s a very clear indication that the ruble is now becoming worthless outside Russia. Russian oil is now being sold 33% cheaper than the world standard. Their economy is in recession at the same time as they need huge amounts of money for armaments. An estimated 100,000 skilled IT workers have left the country. Great news.

Nice watch. The limited edition number is a really nice touch.

Bam Margera - Depressed, drug addicted skateboarder. Scott Steiner - Roid raging wrestler. Jeff Hardy - Walking illegal drug catalogue and backyard wrestler. James Whale - Cancer riddled argument starter. Chris Rea - Not driving home for Christmas 2023.

Back to the stars thing..... We have one star (The Sun) that is reasonably large to the naked eye. Every other star (regardless of brightness) is tiny. Why isn't there a star that looks half the size of the sun? Or a quarter of the size of the sun? Is it coincidence or is it physically impossible for stars to co- exist in close enough proximity?

Exactly.

We can see millions of stars from Earth. One appears relatively massive. The others are tiny dots of light. Why aren’t there any stars that appear somewhere in the middle of those 2 extremes? Is it just coincidence or are all stars similarly distant from one another?

The UK has been using Thermite munitions since WW2. Most incendiary bombs included a Thermite component. The RAF dropped a mixture of small bombs and incendiary bombs. The small bombs blew off roof tiles and the incendiary bombs landed in loft spaces. Thousands of small fires overwhelmed fire fighters.

I got Mrs Lifeboats a new dinner service. We decided to give the old service for Christmas Dinner. It was strangely satisfying to throw the dirty plates away instead of washing up.

Err......

Broken Britain. £26 for a coat hanger.

There are only 2 types of watches. Those you love and those you don’t. The best option is to let him choose. But if you want it to be a surprise, try looking up his favourite watch and go for something from the same brand that is similar looking but a step up in price. Just remember to check the stores returns policy. Luxury watch stores are normally very good with returns and swaps. Especially with £8k in your pocket.

I would recommend a few things - Victim Support. A decent first step. A decent solicitor. You need someone who specialises in this sort of thing. But its a scenario with several different aspects. The Law Society might be able to provide you a list of local solicitors who deal with this. A rape support organisation in the local area. Ask the local Police for details of their complaints policy. That should explain the next steps if you are unhappy with their response.

As a starting point I would recommend visiting a retailer like Fraser Hart and look at their range. They stock some decent brands. If you live in the West Midlands I would suggest booking an appointment at Pragnell's in Stratford-on-Avon. There is no pressure to buy and they can show you lots of options. Even if you don't buy from them you will get so e good ideas.