Now THIS is how you run a tax system

 awesomeness, news, politics, russian empire  No Responses »
Mar 012022
 

No need to declare captured Russian tanks, other equipment of invaders as income – NAPC

Ukraine’s National Agency for the Protection against Corruption (NAPC) has declared that captured Russian tanks and other equipment are not subject to declaration.

“Have you captured a Russian tank or armored personnel carrier and are worried about how to declare it? Keep calm and continue to defend the Motherland! There is no need to declare the captured Russian tanks and other equipment, because the cost of this … does not exceed 100 living wages (UAH 248,100),” NAPC’s press service said.

Also, there is no need in this case to submit reports of significant changes in property status within 10 days.

“Speaking by the letter of the law, combat trophies are not subject to reflection in the declaration for the following reasons: they were acquired not as a result of the conclusion of any type of transaction, but in connection with the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation on February 24, 2022 against the independent and sovereign Ukrainian state as a continuation the insidious attack of the Russian Federation on Ukraine launched in 2014.

Cool. The United States needs to enact similar policies: anything you take from burglars, home invaders, trespassers, illegal aliens, etc. is yours, free and clear, no taxes.

 Posted by at 11:45 pm

Russia liberates Ukraine from big box home improvement stores

 AARRRGH, Crazy, Gah., news, politics, russian empire, ಠ_ಠ  No Responses »
Mar 012022
 

In Putins quest to save the Ukrainians from Nazis, the Russian military successfully bombed an “Epicentr K” store in Chernihiv, Ukraine, which is apparently the equivalent of a Lowes or a Home Depot (which means there are probably a gaggle of dubiously-legal immigrants lurking around waiting to get picked up for some day labor). So be proud, Putin-bots! Your Great Hero is proving just how valid his invasion is.

Russian attack of Ukrainian home-improvement store seen in satellite image

 

 Posted by at 11:18 pm

Soon to appear in Ukraine

 aircraft, awesomeness, news, politics, russian empire, youtube  No Responses »
Feb 282022
 

A few diverse subjects:

A vapor cone forming around an F-35 at an air show last year. It’s an impressive shot (that I can’t seem to embed in the blog post… just click on it, it’s worth a few seconds). It would be unfortunate if the F-35 gets its combat debut in the skies over Ukraine… and then Belarus… and then Moscow…

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUku2KsJBO8/

In other news, non-Ukrainians are lining up to go there and kick Putin’s ass:

And sooner or later, appearing in Ukraine – hopefully – will be the defiant FU defenders of “Snake Island:”

The defiant soldiers of Snake Island are actually ‘alive and well,’ says Ukraine’s navy

 

 

 Posted by at 6:13 pm

So what’s Putin’s next step?

 blather, Hmm..., politics, russian empire  No Responses »
Feb 282022
 

While the Russian invasion of Ukraine has not been defeated by any stretch of the imagination, it certainly does not seem to have gone according to plan. It looks like the Russians thought that this would be a cakewalk… either an easy military victory, or the Ukrainians would welcome them in. Instead, Russian forces *seem* to be catching hell from every quarter. At least from what’s been reported, it looks a bit embarrassing for Vlad.

I’ve seen a lot of vids of Ukrainians smack-talking the Russians, proud of their apparent victories, confident in the future. But Russia has so far used relatively minimal force. So is that Russia’s next step? if this wave of the invasion flops, will Russia step it up? Carpet bomb the cities into gravel, send wave after wave of soldiers who are under orders to *not* play nice with the Ukrainian citizens? Odin forbid, nuke the join? Because it *really* doesn’t seem likely that Putin will just accept the failure and go home.

 Posted by at 2:40 pm

The battle front seems to be moving a little higher

 Crazy, news, politics, russian empire, spacecraft  No Responses »
Feb 272022
 

Dmitry Rogozin, the director-general of Roscosmos, had some interesting things to tweet:

Google translates this (and associated other tweets) as:

SANCTIONS OF ALZ-GEIMER Biden said the new sanctions would affect the Russian space program. OK. It remains to find out the details: 1. Do you want to block our access to radiation-resistant space microelectronics? So you already did it quite officially in 2014. As you noticed, we, nevertheless, continue to make our own spacecraft. And we will do them by expanding the production of the necessary components and devices at home. 2. Do you want to ban all countries from launching their spacecraft on the most reliable Russian rockets in the world? This is how you are already doing it and are planning to finally destroy the world market of space competition from January 1, 2023 by imposing sanctions on our launch vehicles. We are aware. This is also not news. We are ready to act here too. 3. Do you want to destroy our cooperation on the ISS? This is how you already do it by limiting exchanges between our cosmonaut and astronaut training centers. Or do you want to manage the ISS yourself? Maybe President Biden is off topic, so explain to him that the correction of the station’s orbit, its avoidance of dangerous rendezvous with space garbage, with which your talented businessmen have polluted the near-Earth orbit, is produced exclusively by the engines of the Russian Progress MS cargo ships. If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled deorbit and fall into the United States or Europe? There is also the option of dropping a 500-ton structure to India and China. Do you want to threaten them with such a prospect? The ISS does not fly over Russia, so all the risks are yours. Are you ready for them? Gentlemen, when planning sanctions, check those who generate them for illness Alzheimer’s. Just in case. To prevent your sanctions from falling on your head. And not only in a figurative sense. Therefore, for the time being, as a partner, I suggest that you do not behave like an irresponsible gamer, disavow the statement about “Alzheimer’s sanctions”. Friendly advice

A veiled threat to de-orbit the space station and drop it onto the US or Europe? Yeah, that’s neato. This sort of rhetoric should be a disqualifier for NASA, the ESA or any western government administration from *ever* working with him again.

 Posted by at 11:37 pm

I’m gonna sing the doom song now…

 AARRRGH, Crazy, Gah., Hmm..., news, nukes, politics, russian empire, Worldwreckers, ಠ_ಠ  No Responses »
Feb 272022
 

Putin puts nuclear forces on high alert, escalating tensions

The invasion of the Ukraine doesn’t seem to be the overnight success I suspect Putin figured it would be. So now I have to wonder if he’s thinking of turning the place to ash on his way out. The rest of Europe and the US may also be in the crosshairs. This would do Russia no good, of course. Nobody would benefit from Russia getting nutty with their nukes.

Except…

I wonder if the Chinese Communists would like to be the unopposed barbarian warlords sitting atop a radioactive pile of skulls? Somehow I suspect that they wouldn’t mind a crappy standard of living if *they* were in charge of the whole planet, trashed though it may be.

 

Fortunately, the United States Government is here to help:

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

GET INSIDE

Get inside the nearest building to avoid radiation. Brick or concrete are best.

Remove contaminated clothing and wipe off or wash unprotected skin if you were outside after the fallout arrived. Hand sanitizer does not protect against fall out. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, if possible. Do not use disinfectant wipes on your skin.

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.

Ahem. In the event a nuclear ᚠᚪᛣᚳᛁᚾᚷ bomb goes off near you, what you really need to worry about is social distancing. Not getting flash-fried or marinated in fallout.

And in the event of a major disaster, there are a number of things you should have at hand. But it’s curious that this government website seems to have forgotten a few:

 

Curiously only two references to “firearm” on the whole site:

 

 Posted by at 7:46 pm

Antonov AN-225 Mriya: probably lost

 AARRRGH, aircraft, Crazy, dumbassery, Gah., history, news, politics, russian empire, ಠ_ಠ  No Responses »
Feb 272022
 

The Russians seem to have launched a strike on the hangar housing the Mriya.

Note that they don’t actually show images of the trashed Antonov. So until there’s a body, it’s still alive… but it looks bad.

As with a *LOT* of things being broadcast, use skepticism. Still, note the helpful red lines scribbled onto the screencap in the lower photos:

 

The Antonov company themselves have not confirmed the condition of the aircraft:

 

 Posted by at 1:31 pm

Well, this should prove interesting

 history, Hmm..., I'm from the government, news, politics, russian empire  No Responses »
Feb 262022
 

An attempted coup in Belarus? If it fails… well…

 Posted by at 7:49 pm
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