BOOJUM!: Jake's Broe-dcast

Ha! Sometimes I Amuse Even Myself

This is my second post in two days dealing with Youtuber Jake Broe, whom is one of the essential vloggers when it comes to the Special Idiotic Operation. He usually posts a vlog every couple of days, and thanks to his location - glamourous Las Vegas - his vlogs show up close to midnight here in This Sceptred Isle, which tempts Your Humble Scribe to view them because who needs sleep? Art!

Case in point. I've not watched it yet, but will do so after the weekly shop.

This Intro is going to be an unholy melange of Jake and another vlogger, Joe Blogs, who also tackled the reasons why Putler has been pushing the narrative about a cease-fire. Art!

Joe for reference. Generally speaking, the cheerier he begins, the worse the news is.

The Ruffians have tried ceasefires twice before. Once in April 2022, when it had become clear that the SIO had gone very badly awry; the Ukrainians ditched the process because the Ruffians were considered utterly untrustworthy. Good call. The Ruffians tried again in 2023, wanting the South Canadians to ditch the Ukrainians, which they weren't willing to do.

So why is Puffy-Phaced Petrol Pimp getting his minions to mention a cease-fire? Both Jake and Joe pointed to the consequences of that $61 billion aid package for Ukraine being approved by Congress. Art!

These puppies have been sent to Ukraine by the hundred, and they are extending their reach to 300 kilometres. The Ukes are going to get 'weapons free' status for their South Canadian munitions, which the Kremlin sees as a singular reason to negotiate. Jake detailed that MANPADS, artillery shells, HIMARS GMLRS, and Bradley's have arrived. That's one hundred Bradleys in total, completely replacing all the destroyed, damaged or abandoned ones. The VDS has begun losing aircraft in the air again, thanks to the MANPADS deliveries, which costs about $30 million per. Art!

Joe pointed out that this aid package will underwrite the Ukrainian military for perhaps a year, possibly longer, which is again a depressing prospect for the Kremlin. Nobody's sending them tons of equipment. Art!

Here's another reason for Putin to want jaw-jaw not war-war; Ukrainian drone strikes have cut Ruffian refineries' output by 15%, possibly more. Not only is there no sign of this decreasing or becoming ineffective, Ukraine intends to deploy up to 3 million drones in 2024. Their range is getting longer all the time, putting an enormous array of Ruffian infrastructure at risk. Nor are the refinery workers happy about possibly being turned into rotisserie-fodder; they are leaving the business. As Joe put it, this aspect of the war was utterly unanticipated by the Kremlin Gremlin, and he can't do anything about it. Which must sting*. Art!

The Fun-Sized Foot Fiddler is also worried about the economy generally, as it has transformed from a capitalist economy to a war economy, with production emphasis shifting to military above all else. The Ruffian state is supporting this, which is good in the short term but very detrimental in the long term, and Dimya may feel that the short term gains in this kind of self-funding model are going or gone. Thus he needs peace before the Ruffian economy crashes, badly.

Another fly - more like a swarm - in the ointment for Bunker Grandad is the next prospective mobilisation. Art!

The first call-up in 2023 resulted in 1.2 million Ruffians leaving the environs of Modern-Day Mordor, and they didn't come back. This was bad, because they were the kind of skilled, trained, qualified, experienced people whose departure created economic, political and industrial chaos in their absence. Try forcing people to stay there and get sent to the meat-grinder in Ukraine and see what their reaction is! There's already been forced conscription of young men in Moscow, which is a measure of how catastrophic things are, since these are the last people in the whole nation Putin wants sent to war. Yet another reason for crying about ceasing fire.

More Starship Shots

Props to the people behind these galleries, the "Interstellar Research Centre" and their dedication to portraying interstellar travel. One could only wish it was faster or that Hom. Sap. lived a lot longer. Art!

This is a generic take on a concept decades-old, that of turning a minor asteroid into a spaceship in it's own right. There are a few inherent problems, such as how you counter the inertia of an object weighing several million tons, and what about flaws, fissures, cracks and pockets in the body of the beast? On the other hand, it would shrug off micrometeorite damage with impunity, and solid rock is great at screening out radiation.

You may have encountered this concept in that obscure Sixties cult classic "Starry Trex" (sp?) and the episode with the splendidly long and evocative title "For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky", where an asteroid on a collision course - are there any other? - turns out to be a spaceship. Art!

It was quite had to track down this relevant image, because most of the irrelevant images were of a lady wearing Bacofoil as an art statement, and not a lot of it at that. Art!

Yes, well, time to move on.

Hmmmmmm Conrad is pretty sure that pizza did not cook properly. I need to give it a zap in the microwave. First, I have to get past Entitled Edna, who is hanging around like the world's most Hopeful Hound.

Giant Bang-Stick Info

WASH OUT YOUR FILTHY MINDS! you disgusting perverts. What Conrad refers to, O SO OBVIOUSLY, is the Boys Anti-Tank Rifle. I did mention this briefly when passing comment on "Forgotten Weapons"and Ian's use of same. Art!

This is the British anti-tank rifle developed just prior to Second Unpleasantness, adopted into use and which was pretty effective up until early 1941, at least against the Teuton and Roman vehicles of that era. The idea was that it fired a large-calibre bullet - 0.55 inches - at very high velocity, which would penetrate enemy armour and whang around the inside of any target vehicle, turning the occupants into dog food. Art!

"BMG" = "Browning Machine Gun"

This is a projectile that means serious harm to anyone it encounters. By early 1941 the Axis tanks had been up-armoured and were quite resistant to Boys rounds, which meant it transitioned into an anti-material weapon. It never went out of fashion in the Far East, as Japanese tanks were far weedier than their European compatriots. Australian troops had a name for it that I cannot repeat here, which represented the respect soldiers had for it's effectiveness if not the concussive process of actually firing it.

"City In The Sky"

We now witness how the hatefully horrid Lithoi conduct affairs amongst themselves, which is to say, not very politely.

‘Move to the Briefing Chamber,’ ordered one of the guards. When Orskan hesitated the guard’s weapons collar activated and directed a laser snout between his eyes; Orskan realised he was in bigger trouble than he could have imagined. No congratulations, obviously.

When he entered the room a small panel of his fellow Lithoi were waiting: Arkan 22, with Miskan 54, Nilkam 34, Harkan 23 and Gelken 27. All higher-caste: Leader, Anthropology, Biology, Physics and - Astronomy. Odd. What did the sky-watchers ever have to contribute?

‘What -’ he began, before realising his e-collar had died and no sounds were emerging beyond what he could make himself. ‘Why am I here!’ he hissed at full volume.

‘This court sits in arraignment,’ intoned Arkan, pompously. ‘Here before us is the plaintiff. Orskan 94, you are accused of treason. How do you plead?’

Orskan felt his scales change colour, so great was his shame and anger.

‘What!’ he hissed, barely able to speak through his temper.

‘How do you plead!’ intoned Arkan, not bothering to look at his subordinate.

‘NOT GUILTY!’ shrieked Orskan, outraged. How could this be happening to him!

Yeah, this is what happens when you push people too far. Revolution ahoy**!

Conrad Is Tempted!

Out of curiosity, I have looked at the "Turner Donovan" webpage that displays their catalogue as of March 2024. Inevitably my attention was drawn to their "Official History 1914 - 1918" pages, where I espied the following. Art!

Note that the verrrrry reasonable price is because this is a 4th Edition, which you can gather from the publication date. It looks in very good condition, too.

Probably already sold <wallet squeaks in relief>. I wonder .....

Finally -

Conrad is unsure how long their deliberations will take, but the jury in Donald Judas Trump's hush-money case are sitting in judgement on the Flabby Farting Fraudster*.

He was seen at a recent NASCAR rally saluting everything, including the 'sidewalk' (more correctly known as a 'Pavement'), aircraft and paint - he had been told to 'be more patriotic'. Art!