Okay, a promised infodump.

So, the war on Ukraine. By Russia. To be utterly clear from the beginning about whose choice this was.

Ukraine has fought this war with an incredible application of sheer brainpower: innovation after innovation, new tactics, new technology, homemade weapons, incredible things.

And they haven't just fired them off randomly to just cause Russian deaths.

They've actually built an incredible strategy based on turning the Russian myth of invincibility upside down.

So first I need to explain that myth, where it comes from, and why it's a mythmaking exercise, and not at all what it's sold as.

First, then, we need to look at Napoleon Bonaparte. The first one.

When he invaced Russia, in 1812, he did so from a start line more or less in modern Poland. He gathered 600,000 troops, from several forcibly allied nations. And off the went to take Moscow. So they marched and they marched, and as they marched, the summer passed, and autumn came. By this time their supply lines were literally thousands of km in length. In a time with no railroads or air transport, that was a HUGE distance. Everything that moved moved by horsepower, or mulepower.

The Russians didn't stand and fight. They fought delaying actions, while their troops destroyed supplies, broke down shelters, and basically scorched the earth for the incoming French armies.

This meant that they couldn't forage from the countryside, as had been Napoleon's innovation earlier in the Napoleonic wars. His men would march much more quickly than other troops, and did so spread out enough to be able to feed themselves by basically taking everything the nearest peasants had. Ruining those people's existence, of course, but keeping themselves fed.

In Russia, this was no longer possible. All supplies had to be brought a couple of thousand km to the front, a wagonload at a time.

1/10

More than almost any other figure in the Trump administration, Karoline Leavitt annoys people, especially women.

Everyone in the White House sucks, so I look at why she's especially aggravating.

Hint: Her ability to irritate you is why she got the job.

https://www.salon.com/2025/06/23/why-karoline-leavitt-is-so-annoying/

Charlie is dissatisfied with our lack of progress planting flowers this summer. No deck flowers = no hummingbirds to leap at. He decides to take things in hand...

http://nicolagriffith.com/2025/06/11/charlie-and-george-help-with-flowers/

I owe so much to so many: I would not be where I was without help. Instead of thanking folks from the stage during my Grand Master speech, I’ve written this blog post. I am grateful.

http://nicolagriffith.com/2025/06/07/thank-you-2/