Author Archives: John Lusk

Future of Ukraine?

Russia splits Ukraine in half? Western half joins NATO with understanding that claims to eastern half & Crimea will be pressed later, if ever? Eastern half maintains resistance to Russian rule, and Russia withdraws after death/retirement of Putin? Crimea returns to Ukraine with agreement to a 100-year lease of naval base to Russia??? (Prolly too much to hope for.)

Off flavors while watching Ukraine

So… just to say… I’m enjoying watching the Ukrainians give the Russians a hard time from the comfort of my couch as much as any other American, and i do hope the U.S. and the West continue to send munitions, but the racism at the Ukrainian borders (on both sides) and the fact that Turkey uses Bayraktar drones to kill Kurds just kinda gives the whole thing a bit of an off flavor.

Oh, and civilians displaced or killed and 18-year-olds killed in combat, whether they signed up for it or not (Russia has a draft).

Tweet from Dr Sarah Taber (@SarahTaber_bww)

https://twitter.com/SarahTaber_bww/status/1499028990698438656?s=20&t=TVZ5xMV3rIrA78mvlbAiEg

Ag Twitter meets Ukraine Twitter, as it should.

Dr Sarah Taber (@SarahTaber_bww) Tweeted: This is the legendary chornozem soil at work. Dark grassland soils with so much organic matter, they suck up water all winter long & stay pretty moist even during summer dry spells. they are a BITCH on heavy artillery in cold, sloppy spring weather though lmaooooooo https://t.co/Wus0EimLDz

Tweet from Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers)

https://twitter.com/BettyBowers/status/1499938605019586565?s=20&t=TVZ5xMV3rIrA78mvlbAiEg

I am impressed at this speed.

Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) Tweeted: “The United States has delivered nearly 70 percent of the $350 million package [of Javelin antitank missiles, rocket launchers, guns, & ammunition that President Biden approved this week] to Ukraine’s military,” a senior Pentagon official said on Friday. https://t.co/7Hitamhuh3

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/04/us/politics/russia-ukraine-weapons.html

Wuhan vs. Kiev

I remember two years ago standing in my office, discussing the crazy epidemic Wuhan, China was experiencing with my officemates, wondering how they were going to cope with it.

Never once imagining what was coming, including, for me, a layoff.

Now, we’re discussing crazy events in another far-off city, Kiev, Ukraine, wondering how they’ll deal with it.

Suddenly, it occurs to me that maybe I should be wondering what’s coming for me here.

On the connection between anti-vaxxers and Putinistas

I remember somebody with a lot of followers (including me, at least, at the time) On Here a year or two ago snickering disbelievingly about the connection between anti-vaxxers, Putinistas, and election conspiracy-theorists.