A Glibertarians Exclusive: Mog-ee, Part III

by | Feb 28, 2022 | Fiction | 139 comments

A Glibertarians Exclusive:  Mog-ee, Part III

Winter

One thing the People and the Diggers had in common was the winter.  For both groups, it was a time of waiting.  It was often a hungry time, as well.  The People relied on hunting smaller game near their camps, and on jerked meat and a mixture of finely chopped venison, rendered bear or goose fat, juniper berries, herbs and nuts stored in the cleaned intestines of reindeer.

The Diggers made their winter fare a monotonous diet of stewed grains and roots.

Both groups were cooped up.  Both groups were subsisting on unappetizing fare (although, to Wolf’s thinking, the Diggers did that all year.)  Both groups took refuge in storytelling, sleeping and sex.

Early in the winter, Wolf had been making a habit of wandering back and forth between the winter camp of the People and the Digger settlement, drawn in by the furious passion Mog-ee showed for him; he was mildly amazed that their nocturnal activities in her tiny wattle-and-bark hut had not elicited comment aside from a few snide remarks from Mog-ee’s brother.  What Wolf found most amazing about the whole thing was that he had, so far, managed to refrain from breaking Yeeklep-ee’s jaw.

But on his last visit, the better part of a moon since, a furious blizzard had sealed the low pass on the ridge that separated the Digger abodes from the camp of the People.  Wolf had been stuck with the Digger girl, eating the stale fare of stewed grains, tending a tiny fire in the back of the hut, with only the biting, scratching, yowling catfights in the bedding every night to break the monotony.

The whole affair had Wolf wondering how bad the scarring on this back would be come spring but being a young man with the normal young man’s appetites, he wasn’t about to try to deter Mog-ee.  Every night when they climbed in the bedding, she reached for him, and every night, he enthusiastically cooperated.

Wolf’s father had offered advice once, and thereafter held his silence; it had happened when Wolf had finally approached the older man to discuss Mog-ee’s offer, just before the first snows.

“I know how appealing a new girl can be,” Clear Sky had told his son.  “I walked many days, to the far west, almost to the end of the land, where they say the great western sea meets the earth.  There were many folk living in the lands I crossed, and all of them lived much as we do.  I met your mother there, across a great mountain range, in a rich, warm land.  It took a year to persuade her to return to the People with me.”

“You never thought of staying there?”

Clear Sky nodded.  “I did.  And she would have liked me to have done that.  But I wanted to come back to the People, and she grew to love me enough to make the journey with me.  But Wolf, one thing you must think on, and think well.”

Wolf raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Your mother’s folk were much like us.  They hunted, they gathered the fruits of the forest, they moved from place to place.  They, like us, were free, not tethered to a patch of earth.  So, when she came here to the People, our lives here were not so strange to her.  You cannot say that of your Digger girl, my son.  Were you to go there, you would not adjust well.  You were raised to live free, to move about the land, to hunt, to fish, to live a free life.  You would not be happy, living in one valley and grubbing in the dirt to make your meals.  And this Digger girl – Mog-ee, you said her name was?  Do you think she would be happy leaving all she knows for a life she would probably see as unsettled?”

“I hope she would,” Wolf admitted.

“And if she should not?”  Clear Sky reached out, laid a hand on his son’s shoulder.  “Is your desire for this Digger girl so strong that you would give up your freedom for her?”

Wolf looked down.  For some days after that, he was withdrawn, contemplative.  He had almost decided to give up his plans for a future with Mog-ee, but when he went to the Digger settlement to tell her, she led him off into a sheltered glade in a stand of trees near the western edge of their fields and exhausted him with sex, until he completely forgot his father’s words.

Then, the snow, his stranding in the Digger settlement.  Finally, on one bright afternoon when it looked as though a thaw might be coming, Wolf was approached by Mog-ee’s father, Yeeteep-ee.

The older man found Wolf standing near the south end of the group of clustered huts, watching the sky to the south, where patches of blue competed with the usual gray snow clouds.  Here and there, a beam of sunlight broke through, dazzling on the snow.

“Before long, it will be time for tilling,” Yeeteep-ee said.  “Another moon, perhaps a little longer.”

“Tilling?” Wolf asked.  He did not turn to face Mog-ee’s father; Wolf liked him about as much as the rest of the family, which was not very much.

“Preparing the soil for planting,” Yeeteep-ee said.  “If you are staying here with us, and as you are sleeping in my daughter’s hut, you are going to help with this.”

The man’s certainty irked Wolf.

“I am?”  Now Wolf turned to face Yeeteep-ee.  “And if I do not?  What say you if, when the snow melts, I walk away to the People and do not return?”

“You will not,” Yeeteep-ee said with great conviction.  “I am the Rain-Bringer for this settlement.  I have spoken with the other elders, and I have spoken with our gods.  They know this to be true.  It is our way, everyone works, everyone tills, plants, harvests, or they do not eat.”

“It seems I was eating very well before I came here,” Wolf replied.  “And I thought you and Ord-ee were both the Rain-Bringers.  What says she about all this?”

“I speak for us both,” Yeeteep-ee said.

Wolf adopted a skeptical expression.  “And yet she is not here to agree to this.”

“Even so, when the time for tilling comes, you will help.  You are a young man, and strong.  You will be able to expand our plantings to at least one more field.  Maybe two.”  He smiled. “You will need your spears no longer.”

“Ah,” Wolf said with a slight smile.  “So, that is it.  You need young men to help you, as you are clearly not so young anymore.”  He cast a pointed look at Yeeteep-ee’s graying beard.

“Don’t be so sure,” Yeeteep-ee snapped, clearly annoyed.  “I’m a young man myself yet.  I won’t be ready to slow down for many, many summers.”  He turned and stomped off through the snow.

Wolf continued his regard of the southern sky.  He heard Yeeteep-ee’s words in his head:  You will need your spears no longer.

He thought of his many days of hunting with his father, his brothers, his clan-brothers, even some of the sisters who, if they wished, would come and hunt.  He remembered the joy of trotting a day, two days in search of the herds; the joy on finding game, the indescribable moment when one would cast a spear, clean, clear, and true, knowing it would find its mark.  The rich taste of fresh liver and the clean fat from an animal’s body cavity, still warm from the fresh kill, and the joy of the People still in the camp when the hunters returned with meat.

Am I willing to give up all that to dig in the dirt, all for the love of Mog-ee?

He knew that, all too soon, the sun would set, he would join Mog-ee in her little hut, and once more he knew his resolve would fade in the face of her passion.

***

I ain’t gonna work for Maggie’s pa no more

I ain’t gonna work for Maggie’s pa no more

Talks to servants about man and God and law

Everybody says he’s the brains behind ma

He’s 68 but says he’s 24

I ain’t gonna work for Maggie’s pa no more

About The Author

Animal

Animal

Semi-notorious local political gadfly and general pain in the ass. I’m firmly convinced that the Earth and all its inhabitants were placed here for my personal amusement and entertainment, and I comport myself accordingly. Vote Animal/STEVE SMITH 2024!

139 Comments

  1. Fourscore

    As always, Animal, a great story to remind us of our youth. Will we stay near the in-laws or will we find our own little niche? which will haunt us the most?
    Thanks for your efforts.

    • Tundra

      Seconded.

      Terrific storytelling.

    • R.J.

      I loved it too. I am hoping for a slow burn for another chapter or two until Wolf snaps and turns the whole tribe into jerky.

  2. Yusef drives a Kia

    Decisions decisions, there’s a term for Wolf’s problem,

    • Fourscore

      Wolf’s problem is going to be amplified soon

      • juris imprudent

        It is likely to be an addition problem.

      • db

        More of a cross product, perhaps?

      • hayeksplosives

        If Wolf had made use of the Right-Hand Rule, he wouldn’t be in this predicament.

      • Name's BEAM. James BEAM.

        I love this place.

      • Lackadaisical

        Is that a hard and fast rule?

  3. DEG

    Wolf had been stuck with the Digger girl, eating the stale fare of stewed grains, tending a tiny fire in the back of the hut, with only the biting, scratching, yowling catfights in the bedding every night to break the monotony.

    There are worse ways to pass the time.

    I’m wondering if Wolf will figure out animal husbandry.

    • rhywun

      Or fire.

      • DEG

        They already have fire.

      • rhywun

        I didn’t notice. Just noted Wolf’s appetite for fresh liver. ?

      • Bobarian LMD

        Fermentation.

        Fermentation is always the answer.

      • robc

        Some claim it is why people settled down to farm at all in the first place.

        I think that is slightly backwards. It is why settlements worked.

      • UnCivilServant

        Needed something to drown the sorrows of being stuck in one cess pit year-round.

      • robc

        Pretty much.

    • Fourscore

      Too many carbs

      • Sean

        ^ This guy gets it.

      • DEG

        From animal husbandry?

      • Sean

        I assumed he meant the stewed grains.

      • DEG

        Ah. That makes sense.

    • Tundra

      This just all smells like bullshit to me.

      “We gotta save those plucky Ukranians.”

      The usual suspects are actually calling for US troops.

      • Sean

        I won’t disagree.

        Still, amusing (to me).

      • Tundra

        Funny until more Marines are killed.

        More bullshit.

      • hayeksplosives

        Russian citizen and noted nutcase Steven Seagall is weighing in now:

        “Most of us have friends and family in Russia & Ukraine,” the action star told Fox News Digital on Monday. “I look at both as one family and really believe it is an outside entity spending huge sums of money on propaganda to provoke the two countries to be at odds with each other.”

        Seagal is an accomplished martial artist — like Russian President Vladimir Putin. The actor, who was granted Russian citizenship in 2016, has vocally defended the Russian leader’s policies, including Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, and has criticized the U.S. government.

        Well, OK then.

        https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/steven-seagal-russia-invasion-ukraine-putin.amp

      • R C Dean

        Most of us have friends and family in Russia & Ukraine

        Pretty sure most of us don’t.

      • hayeksplosives

        Yeah, that stuck out to me too. British maybe, or German.

      • Fatty Bolger

        really believe it is an outside entity spending huge sums of money on propaganda to provoke the two countries to be at odds with each other

        Ridiculous! Everybody knows it’s actually just a 4chan prank gone terribly, terribly wrong. (Or right, depending on your perspective.)

      • rhywun

        weighing in

        *snort*

      • wdalasio

        Meh. Stupid filler commentary aside, he’s not particularly wrong. This whole thing stinks of someone trying to convince the rest of us to dine on bull**it. America has no national interests in this fight we’re being inundated with emotional fluff, false dichotomies (“if you’re not eager to send troops to roll back the Russian menace, you just love Vladimir Putin!”), and pointless gestures (there was a story this morning about stores pouring out their Russian vodka) to try to get us to ignore that fact.

      • Fatty Bolger

        Sure, there’s a lot of propaganda. But it wasn’t propaganda that convinced the Russians to invade, like Seagal seems to believe.

      • Ted S.

        It was all the Americans’ fault. Those Ukrainians would have been thrilled to be subjugated by Russia for the past 30 years if it weren’t for the Americans.

      • Semi-Spartan Dad

        Her hands and white shoes are remarkably free of soot and grease. She looks more like someone on a movie set than someone in the middle of a war zone.

    • rhywun

      The top half of the NY Post is filled with this stuff.

      • Sensei

        I’m rather surprised the Swiss are adopting most of the EU’s Russia sanctions.

        Not sure what good it will do, but…

    • Drake

      I’d be slightly tempted to believe it if the Ukrainian army wasn’t equipped with old Russian gear.

      • UnCivilServant

        Who doesn’t have a few Soviet AFVs lying around?

  4. wdalasio

    Woo-hoo! I just bought myself a pick-up truck (used). I think I might be ready to apply for my redneck card.

    • UnCivilServant

      Denied.

      Failed to provide proof of improvisational repairs, previous automobiles “under repair” in the front yard, and appropriate social tendencies.

      • Fatty Bolger

        2 points for each mismatched tire and/or hub caps. Double points for multiple tire sizes on the same vehicle.

        1 point for every foot of duct tape attached to the vehicle. Double points if it’s all silver.

        10 points for each non-factory paint color. (Primer counts as one color.)

        15 points for a rifle or shotgun mounted in the back window of the cab.

        5 points for flying an actual confederate flag. 1 point for each confederate flag decal or bumper sticker.

        1 point for each spotlight mounted on the cab. 2 points if the light is fully directional.

        1 point for each decal/bumper sticker mentioning Jesus, The Lord, prayer, or any other Christian theme.

        2 points for naked lady mud flaps.

      • DEG

        How many points do you get if you fly both the Confederate and US flags?

      • Fatty Bolger

        Zero points for US flags. That’s just your patriotic duty, son! You don’t get rewarded for it!

      • Fourscore

        Deduct 3 points for not having an NRA or a “Honk if you Love Jesus” bumper sticker

    • Tundra

      Congrats! What did you get?

      • wdalasio

        2016 Silverado with a extended bed.

      • Tundra

        Nice. I went from a Tahoe to a pickup and it might have wrecked me for any other vehicle.

      • MikeS

        After driving a truck for many years, I had the misfortune of driving a loaner car for a couple of days. Hated it with a passion.

      • juris imprudent

        I had a 2003 Silverado long bed. Great truck. Only sold it because the 6L V8 couldn’t handle the new trailer. Went with the Ram 2500HD with a Cummins. That tows like a champ.

      • DEG

        Nice!

    • kinnath

      Welcome fellow killer (harken back to last thread).

    • Lackadaisical

      Did you collect enough proofs of purchase from Copenhagen?

      • slumbrew

        Marlboro Miles

    • SandMan

      Show us how many rolls of duct tape you own!

  5. Lackadaisical

    ‘the joy on finding game, the indescribable moment when one would cast a spear, clean, clear, and true, knowing it would find its mark. ‘

    Felt this many times playing darts or firing my bow.

    I wonder if this only works in ranged weapons. How do we know we did it perfectly before it actually happens? It’s a nearly religious experience. Probably some weird artifact of evolution to use ranged weapons.

    Do those who shoot guns get this feeling?

    • UnCivilServant

      I know when I hit and when the shot was off the mark.

      I don’t know how, but I’m only occassionally surprised by the actual result.

    • kinnath

      Archery and Guns. Yes. There is the moment at release/trigger-pull when you know you nailed it.

      • Tundra

        Especially when you aren’t overthinking.

      • Lackadaisical

        That’s key to good anything really.

        I guess it’s the correlation of what we know to be the correct way to do something and actually executing it. For me it always is accompanied by a little bit of euphoria.

      • kinnath

        Happens in golf too. At the moment of contact, you just know that one is good.

      • slumbrew

        The one time I played golf for real, I only had about one good shot that day. But that shot… the second I hit it, I knew I got it right and just watched it speed down the center of the fairway.

        I understand why people like that sport.

      • Drake

        Yes – I used to play regularly. On a good day I’d hit maybe a half-dozen really good shots and it was totally worth it.

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        And Disc Golf, you start running up before you hit the chains, you just know.

    • EvilSheldon

      Oh yeah, big time. Especially when shooting rifles at long range, I can often call a hit before hearing the impact on the target.

    • R C Dean

      How do we know we did it perfectly before it actually happens? It’s a nearly religious experience.

      This one time, at deer camp . . . .

      I was hunting your classic Southern Wisconsin farm country – corn and alfalfa fields and woodlots -with my shotgun (rifled barrel, saboted slugs, scope). A couple of deer were moving down a brushy fence row at a pretty good clip. I don’t usually shoot at moving deer, but I put my scope on them (probably in case they stopped), and I saw, clear as day, the path the slug would take right into the shoulder of one of the deer. Literally, I saw a line, golden-yellow, that curved into the deer (the curve, because I was leading the deer a little). So I took a shot I wouldn’t usually take, and dropped the deer.

      • R C Dean

        Oh, it was about an 80 yard shot.

      • Not Adahn

        I’ve seen those lines when I’ve competed in karate.

    • db

      Yes. I can usually tell at the moment the trigger breaks whether the shot will be good or not.

    • Animal

      Best shot I ever made on a game animal was a mulie buck up in Grand County, in the sage country north of Williams Fork Reservoir. I had spent a couple of hours working my way up the back side of a ridge I had seen a big bunch of deer on the night before, and when I finally crested the ridge there were 8-10 deer right in front of me. They bolted, but one nice mea buck stopped on the edge of a drop-off, turned broadside and looked back up at me.

      I laid down in the snow, put my hat on a flat rock, laid Thunder Speaker on the hat and took aim. The moment I felt the trigger break, I knew the deer was dead, and sure as shooting, the bullet hit clean at the base of his neck. He dropped straight down, never felt a thing. I paced off the shot at 280 yards, more or less.

      Mind you that was with a rifle I put together myself, shooting ammo I had loaded myself for that rifle. But to this day, twenty-odd years later, I’m still pretty pleased with that shot.

      • Fourscore

        I missed a sleeping deer, I thought that critter was dead, dead, dead until it jumped up, tail up and not a speck of blood, about 50-60 yards. I’ve missed some that I thought were easy, hit a few that were a little iffy.

  6. juris imprudent

    And now for something completely different.

    Another likely major point of contention at the trial: the gun charge Reffitt faces, which is extremely rare among Jan. 6 defendants. Reffitt allegedly admitted to the FBI that he brought his Smith & Wesson pistol to Washington, but claimed he disassembled it and did not bring it to the Capitol.

    However, prosecutors say that Reffitt was wearing the pistol holster at the Capitol and that in at least one photo something can be seen glistening in the sun in that holster. Witnesses are also expected to testify that Reffitt spoke about bringing his gun with him that day.

    Sounds like they have no evidence that he committed said crime. Not that that matters in a political trial.

  7. R C Dean

    TW: Allahpundit.

    For one thing, Putin is fighting Ukraine with restraint so far, aware that a bloodbath could turn Russian public opinion against him decisively. One third of the Russian troops stationed at the Ukrainian border have yet to advance. A U.S. defense official told Bloomberg that Russia has used only 50 percent of its available firepower so far. A Russian official claimed that their timeline for a successful operation was one to two weeks and that they’ve deliberately avoided sending infantry into cities for fear of the carnage that would result. To some extent, Putin is pulling his punches.

    I wonder how much he is pulling his punches at this point. It seems clear (given the crap state of information from the war) that Plan A was an airmobile assault to paralyze the Ukrainian government while armor and mechanized infantry raced to Kiev. That plan failed immediately, and the ground assault is stalled (I guess? Who the fuck knows?). If the ground assault is stalled, that’s why he hasn’t committed his strategic reserve – where would they go? What would they do? I have no doubt the Russians have heard the maxim “Don’t reinforce failure”. That would also explain why 50% of their firepower hasn’t been used – its not restraint so much as, used where? On who? They are starting to bomb cities, but generations of “strategic bombing” have yet to win a war. Russians love them some artillery, but artillery is notably less effective against a dispersed and fast-moving adversary. It doesn’t sound like the Ukrainians want a set-piece battle, and why should they? The Russians are divided into three fronts, and undoubtedly subdivided further on each of those. Harassing attacks, especially on logistics, sound like the smart play to me.

    • Semi-Spartan Dad

      Something is off in how we’re being presented the information. The media is full of anecdotal stories, but it’s hard finding an actual updated map of Russia’s progress and strength.

      I won’t link to CNN, but this caught my eye while searching:

      Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Sunday there are no Russian troops in the Ukrainian capital.

      “There were clashes and skirmishes at night. Destroyed several large sabotage groups,” Klitschko posted on his Instagram account.
      “Our military, law enforcement, and territorial defense continue to detect and neutralize saboteurs.”

      Klitschko said that nine civilians, including one child, have been killed in Kyiv since the Russian invasion began, as well as 18 military and territorial defense personnel.

      Only 9 civilians killed in a populated capital city under siege? That doesn’t sound even remotely close to accurate. We see more innocent deaths from rival gangs during a typical Chicago weekend. Either civilian deaths are incredibly underreported or Russia has barely committed it’s strength.

      • The Other Kevin

        The fact that some people are openly questioning things like this gives me hope. We’re no longer in the days of everyone just accepting every piece of information that comes from CNN like in Desert Storm.

      • R C Dean

        Something is off in how we’re being presented the information. The media is full of anecdotal stories, but it’s hard finding an actual updated map of Russia’s progress and strength.

        I’ve had the same thought. There appear to be no actual reporters on the ground in Ukraine.

      • UnCivilServant

        Ove the past decade, “Journalists” have transitioned fully to just reporting things they read on social media or official press releases.

        There isn’t a reporter on the ground pretty much anywhere.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        The twenty second TikTok video is the new normal of reporting.

      • Semi-Spartan Dad

        https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60506682

        Found some maps showing Russian advancement. I’m getting the picture that Russia initially tried some preliminary strikes to see if the Kyiv and other major cities would quickly fall. In the meantime, they’ve been securing supply lines and moving tanks and other heavy equipment moved into position. If that’s accurate, we’ll a big escalation in firepower this week.

        Another propaganda outlet, BBC, so take with a grain of salt. I don’t know where to get accurate info anymore.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Al Jazeera coverage is decent.

        It appears the Russians are encircling the Ukrainian army in the West and cutting them off from their supply lines. Other reports I’ve seen indicate they’re also going to encircle Kiev and wait it out.

        Nobody is reporting on what happened in the talks today yet.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        “encircling the Ukrainian army in the West East

      • R C Dean

        I’m not seeing much in danger if being encircled in the East. Unless there’s a major formation northeast of Kiev, maybe.

        If the new Plan B is to beseige Kiev and wait it out, well, time is not the Russians’ friend.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        There’s somewhere between 12 and 15 brigades at the Donbas front which have been part of the shelling of the separatist regions.

      • kinnath

        That map makes sense to me. Russia (I think) wants to control everything from Odessa to Lushank.

        Kiev is desirable as the capital and the seat of government, but has no strategic value long term.

      • JaimeRoberto (shama/lama/ding dong)

        My wild ass guess is that they want to control the whole coast of the Black Sea and link up with Russian troops that are in the Transdnister region of Moldova. They probably also want to take Kiev because of the whole origins of the Kievan Rus thing. That will give them a whole lot of leverage over Ukraine in the future.

      • R C Dean

        To me, that looks like very slow progress. They’ve taken five days to move, what, 50 miles toward Kiev? They haven’t taken a major city yet? They don’t even have air superiority yet? I honestly thought we’d see Russian tanks in Kiev by now. I don’t know why they would need to establish logistics hubs inside of Ukraine before launching an attack on Kiev – its not that far from their bases in Russia and Belarus. Eventually, they will probably get themselves organized, but every day they delay is another day for the Ukrainians to get themselves organized, and for domestic anti-war pressure to build on Putin in Russia.

        If reports are true that military supplies sent by Western countries are making it to the fronts, the Russians could be in for a rough go. A double fistful of cruise missiles could probably do a lot of damage to the supply depots/vehicle parks I have seen satellite photos of.

      • db

        Even the German army in WWII nearly outran its supply capability during the first days of the blitzkrieg. They were very fortunate that it took France as long as it did to get their shit together.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        I’ve seen reports that the Russians control all of the airspace and have done so since about 24 hours in and other reports that it is still being contested. The latter articles seem to contain more qualifiers in the reporting (we believe… may… might…)

        I assume everyone is lying right now.

      • Tundra

        I still have no idea what the fuck Putin is thinking. Of course, I don’t know what the fuck anyone is thinking at this point.

      • R C Dean

        I believe Putin thought this would all be over in 48 hours, 72 at the most.

        I don’t think the Russians planned for days or weeks of urban fighting. I wonder how long they can actually maintain a siege of Kiev. I seriously doubt this is going the way they thought it would, and that’s probably all I can say with any confidence at this point.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        He’s thinking that China is going to buy most of Russia’s gas and oil in the future.

        Shell announced they’re going to liquidate their stake in Gazprom today. The EU/Russia economic reconciliation is now defunct, as DC has always wanted.

      • Drake

        I think this guy is right. It’s already the end-game. The Ukrainians have no air, and are sitting ducks. Retreating into the cities would make it hard for the Russians but an absolute slaughter for the Ukrainians.

        The Russians want a negotiated settlement with the guarantees (no NATO) they asked for. If they don’t get it, as the Colonel say, the Ruskies will take off the gloves and pound them into dust.

        This isn’t a fair fight. It’s like us against the Iraqis.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        First I’ve heard from Macgregor. I can’t imagine his take on it sits well with Fox producers at all.

      • Bobarian LMD

        I worked for him when he was a LTC.

        He’s a really intelligent guy, and an arrogant horse’s ass who shouldn’t have ever been put in charge of soldiers.

        He wrote a book (Breaking the Phalanx) telling all the Generals that they didn’t know what they were doing. Which got him put out to pasture.

        Tom Clancy based the Commander’s he used in Executive Orders on MacGregor and H.R. McMasters.

      • R C Dean

        Essentially, Macgregor is saying that Russia does not want to engage a civilian population and is making every effort to avoid civilian conflict in those population centers.

        I don’t see the Ukrainians giving in while they still hold the major cities. Could Russia (eventually) win? Sure. But the bad blood runs very deep on both sides. When the initial decapitation strike failed, I think the odds of this getting settled without some serious ugliness got very low. And the longer it goes on, the more Putin has to “win” at the bargaining table for it to be passed off as a success. This has “quagmire” tattooed on its ass.

        This isn’t a fair fight. It’s like us against the Iraqis.

        And look how that turned out.

      • Drake

        I’ve seen modern artillery in action. The use it on a city, it will be terrible.

      • WTF

        At this point I doubt the Russians are holding back, because this entire episode is making them look weak, and that is far more important to them than any condemnation on humanitarian terms.

      • Tundra

        Transcript from the interview.

        Stay the fuck out of it.

        And start drilling again, dummies.

    • juris imprudent

      “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary.” H.L. Mencken

    • Fatty Bolger

      The report’s authors say these impacts are happening much faster and are more disruptive and widespread than scientists expected 20 years ago.

      LMAO, yeah, right.

      Imagine being at the peak of a warm period during an ice age, and worrying about it getting too hot.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      I have so many questions.

    • db

      Ballsy. That’s a good way to get shot, I’d wager.

      Assuming the target wasn’t just an abandoned vehicle.

      • EvilSheldon

        Why do you think the video stopped when it did?

      • JaimeRoberto (shama/lama/ding dong)

        Because the cameraman wanted to light a cigarette?

      • db

        I saw another picture that looked like the same girl, posing in front of the same car, supposedly after the attack, so if that’s the case, maybe they didn’t get shot up.

      • db

        Of course, on a closer look, it appears that APC is being towed by a tractor–possibly the one that was featured in a few other Twitter videos recently.

        Plus, I can’t find that photo I mentioned anymore.

        Everything is a propaganda op.

      • R C Dean

        I’m thinking it was abandoned. All by itself, alongside the road, no soldiers in view.

    • db

      Pause 2 seconds in–loaded AK in the center console/passsenger foot well, binocs in the glove compartment…

    • SandMan

      Rule #1. Don’t set yourself on fire.

      • EvilSheldon

        Harder than you’d think, with a Molotov cocktail.

  8. Scruffy Nerfherder

    Ladies and gentlemen, always stay on message, always.

    https://www.ready.gov/nuclear-explosion

    Go to the basement or middle of the building. Stay away from the outer walls and roof. Try to maintain a distance of at least six feet between yourself and people who are not part of your household. If possible, wear a mask if you’re sheltering with people who are not a part of your household. Children under two years old, people who have trouble breathing, and those who are unable to remove masks on their own should not wear them.

    • Sean

      ROFLMAO.

    • Sean

      Another gem:

      Hand sanitizer does not protect against fall out.

    • kinnath

      NPCs have more variability in their play.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Take off your mask so you can easily kiss your ass goodbye. The nerve of those idiots.

      • Lackadaisical

        WTF, that is crazy.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Same with people claiming Ready.gov is fear mongering when they present the nuclear explosion fireball as if it is on their front page (it isn’t…you have to go to that particular disaster). Im tired of people that just push propaganda to get clicks or tweets or views or whatever.

  9. Not Adahn

    Back on topic:

    Wolf invents the disk harrow.

    Yeeklep-ee murders Wolf and takes credit for the invention.

    Wolf and Mog-ee’s son is enslaved and made to pull the disk harrow.

    This has the same effect as Conan at The Wheel and Wulf-ee gets superbuff and slaughters the diggers.

    • slumbrew

      I like it.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      RT is perfectly fine as long as one understands where they coming from. I’m not familiar with Sputnik.

      • Ownbestenemy

        I think Sputnik is the HuffPost of Russia

      • Lackadaisical

        At least you know where they are coming from, unlike some domestic sources.

      • db

        Yeah, that was my exact thought…see how principled these fuckers are when it comes to defying a tyrant that actually can mess with them.

    • Tundra

      We always laugh at the fuckwits who put gun stickers all over their vehicles. Gee, which one to break into?

      • Ownbestenemy

        “Come take it”….well…okay

      • db

        Yeah, that kind of advertising is rock-stupid.

    • EvilSheldon

      Good advice.