#Russia #Ukraine #CIA #Iran
More theories about why.
Putin makes various decrees and rhetoric flies
Apologies for any duplicate posting
Monday, August 31, 2026
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Weapon of Mass Disruption: what General Petraeus is looking for.
#Iran #StraitOf Hormuz
Can global supply and demand come to a new equilibrium?
Remembering Daniel, and...
as the conclusion of lots of other moments that belong to a beloved Friend, not to his murderer. RantWoman will continue to hold N, the man's wife in the Light
Recall:
RantWoman and the RSOF: Remembering Daniel Lytton well
RantWoman and the RSOF: When conversation might be too much, try Mr. GOOGLE. Further memorial.
RantWoman and the RSOF: Memorial with a side of fisheries management.
Finally, the verdict in court: Guilty on all charges.
Content warning about contents of testimony
Man convicted on all charges in murder of Everett landlord | HeraldNet.com
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Ask and ye shall receive
#ICE #CBP #Milo
In today'deportation news:
Deported: Assorted spouses and parents of active duty US military service members
A man from Afghanistan named Khalil whose deportation is evoking a familiar long litany of furious comments from US troops about how he and his family risked their lives to assist US forces in Afghanistan.
Digression: OF COURSE RantWoman does not automatically bless the missions the tropops are on. RantWoman does absolutely think service members, their spouses, and unterpreters, local who assis the US do not deserve the nonsens they are receiving from ICE/CBP.
ON THE OTHER HAND,
GOOD BYE Milo.
So Long
Ta ta
Adios
Adieu
Ciao
do svidaya
Auf Wedersehn
Does RantWoman need to go on?
MAGA Troll Demanded Mass Deportations — Then ICE Deported Him in ONE DAY
Milo Yiannopoulos Nabbed By ICE
It Finally Happened To This MAGA BIGOT And His MAGA 'Friends' DID IT TO HIM!
Milo Yiannopoulos, the British commentator who spent years screaming for zero immigration and on-the-spot deportations, is sitting in a Louisiana ICE cell tonight because he overstayed his own visa.
— Gianl1974 (@Gianl1974) August 29, 2026
He walked into the country legally in 2019 and never left.
When his immigration… pic.twitter.com/HGyZJ4rdcV
Friday, August 28, 2026
Friday night popcorn kernels
 |
| There may or may not be actual popcurn lurking in this cupboard |
Popcorn kernel No. 1
If President #StableGenius wants to keep slapping his name e\EVERYWHERE, after the ravages of deregulation, are there no toxic waste dumps, garbage gyres, uranium slag piles, junkyards, Superfund sites... desperately in need of new names?
Popcorn Kernel No. 2
Recently on one of RantWoman's encounters with theologically very different voices, one person talked about "being covered in the blood of Jesus." All RantWoman could think was "Holy murder scene Batman." Who needs to get sent off for remedial metaphor appreciation?
Popcorn Kernel No. 3
RantWoman has been inappropriately wishing for voodoo dolls of certain public figures. RantWoman has been wondering in Quaker terms what could be wished for as far as the purifying power of prayer or sudden spiritual transformation.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
The CIA Chief goes to Moscowand a swarm of speculation ensues: Why?
#Russia #Ukraine #Israel #CIA #Iran #Kaliningrad
Why? Let the speculation roll,
What are the Russian papers saying about the CIA director's trip to Moscow?
Why the CIA Chief Rushed to Moscow: Putin’s 3 NATO Targets?
hybrid warfare?
Putin Thinks NATO Won’t Fight Back—That’s How Wars Start
Nukes and Israel / Iran
Little Bitches?
Fond (?) recollections of the US House voting for the Big Bad Bonkers Budget Busting Billionaire Bailout Boondoggle.
Presented in celebration (?) of the announcement that the US debt has hit $40 trillion.
#VoteThemOut. Vote Them all out.
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Another big ouch from Senator Darline Graham
#SCsen #SCpol
Various comments after the SC #GOP runoff. Ralph Norman concession. "I don't like it, but I accept it." ROLE MODEL for the entire #GOP no matter what the President's enablers might be cooking up. Norman also endorsed Nikki Haley, one reason the President bypassed him for endorsement. See video below: Darline Graham: "I have a long career working hard for the people of SC...I know what it's like to be poor and struggling in SC." This is TRUE. She has never run for office but she has worked hard in her profession and is well regarded by counterparts in other states. NO QUESTION she has a learning curve about national security. Sorting that out has to be up to SC voters while I argue with my own state's delegation.
If Darline would stop there and think ...and not just swallow what she is being fed.
A certain war has a lot to do with many economic realities voters are facing. I also lean toward "support our troops. Keet them out of stupid wars of choice" but I have no idea what messaging works in SC.
There is another quote about "government run health care." Lindsay adopted her after their parents died so he could list her as a military dependent. Last time I checked, that is GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTHCARE.
I have not looked at final vote totals but early returns showed that President #StableGenius PLEEEEASE go out and vote" speech probably had an impact in the areas the President won.
Also, interesting and worth looking into for final results: Early returns showed 20% of votes for her came as mail-in ballots and 9 % or something as early voting. If the President himself votes by mail and Darline benefited from measures he is trying to get rid of, should he maybe RETHINK?
Speaking VERY charitably, the President is an old guy who needs friends. Unfortunately, friends sometimes have to tell someone that what they are doing isn't working.
Anyway, the country needs the whole conversation, all the pieces here.
Please note: some of Darline's comments absolutely make RantWoman cringe.
Also, RantWoman receives fundraising emails from Democratic candidate Annie Andrews. Putting serious money behind the Andrews campaign makes sense although RantWoman will stick to her witness about supporting only non-partisan measures to support voter turnout and fight vote suppression.
Declarations of Conscientious Objector status skyrocket
Posted here because RantWoman cannot locate the Brian Tyler Cohen video about this topic.
BOMBSHELL: Troops allege Hegseth and Trump pushing them to VIOLATE laws as discharge requests SURGE
Anti-Transgender measures in KS
Posting as is.
By no means is RantWoman in touch with all the other places where things like this are happening.
News bait for news junkies: CIA director makes very short trip to Moscow
#Russia #Ukraine #CIA #NATO #CyberWarfare
RantWoman has no opinion about all the threads of speculation,
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Now iit's The Damage Report ranting about Darline Graham.
#SCsen #SCpol #DarlineGraham
Darline Graham has decades of professional experience as head of a state agency. She is probably good friends with the governor, She did not know why Taiwan is important in a debate but SHE CAN LEARN.
The President is an old guy who needs a friend. Unfortunately, sometimes it falls to friends to tell someone that what they are doing is no working. Is it too much to hope Darline might be that friend? LOTS of cringeworthy moments during the runoff so I am not making bets.
I have a ridiculous sexist bias though: The news is all Epstein, Epstein, Epstein #GOP pedophiles and pedophile enablers. I think it would be great to have two women going head to head in November. Darline is trying to say things that make me cringe for example about immigration. And I am not excited by her Dem. Opponent claiming that decades of professional work in state government is no qualifiations.
Finally, for everyone in SC who says people out of state should stay the hell out, two points:
Because of Darline's professional background she is known by people in similar roles from other states.
Also, the people of SC like the people of other states have much to gain from electing a Congress that can work for the US people, not jut get mad and go home when things get hard.
Could Darline pull any of that off? Who knows? I am just tired of everyone in the media dissing her background.
The Russian Far East: Russia INVITING IN immigrants from N Korea and China
#Russia #China #NorthKorea #immigration
Who controls the territory?
The Russian Far East is emptying of people and growing lots of homes--in ports involved in trade with North Korea and China
As an aside: Happy Ukraine Independence Day.
Monday, August 24, 2026
What the Ship 8/24
#Iran #StraitOfHormuz #Houthis #BabalMandab #BlackSea #Ukraine #Russia #grain #Oil #WarRisk #AcrticRoute #China #Canada #PanamaCanal
Latest survey of all the shipping hot spots and trade flows.
Useful real data to check what the US government asserts about oil flows from through the #StraitOfHormuz
global food and energy prices likely to remain high.
shift of shipping patterns northward as polar ice lessens
Echoes of Fort Chicago: USS Abraham Lincoln
The conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are appalling. There is NO EXCUSE for supplying plenty of ordnance and no food.
Also note: the percentage of black and brown people serving in the military way exceeds their percentage in the general population.
This is 82 years after a different disaster discussed here.
Sunday, August 23, 2026
Saturday, August 22, 2026
The Charlie Kirk Assassination: Theories???
$CharlieKirk #assassination #Israel #DanBongino
RantWoman is filing this video in the zome of threads RantWoman wants to know more about--even thought the phrase "conspiracy theory" os all over the story
Friday, August 21, 2026
WILL there be two women at the top of the SC Senate ticket???
#SCsen #SCpol
For anyone watching the SC #GOP runoff between Darline Graham (Nordone) and Roger Norman, there are too many cringe-worthy moments to list. RantWoman does not apologize for neglecting all the reasons Roger Norman is terrible. He is. Read up. Perhaps President #StableGenius would not be thrilled that he endorsed Nikki Haley in 2024
During the only runoff debate, Darline mistakenly said there are 50 million people instead of 5 million in SC. RantWoman is tempted to quip, well President "StableGenius is going to wrack up votes one way or another." Was the mistake a teleprompter error or someone else's fault? Either way, cringeworthy.
When asked about why Taiwan matters for US foreign policy, Darline quite candidly said foreign policy is not her thing. Candor for a not a politician politician is ALWAYS to be praised even though one might also desperately wish for better debate prep. Also "I don't know but I can learn" would be exactly on point.
The other part of Darline's non-answer answer: "I support our military," with comments about service by both her brother and her dad. Perhaps it is a good thing that RantWoman was not on scene. RantWoman would have blurted out some version of "Support our military. Keep them out of STUPID wars, Get them adequate provisions. DO NOT FIRE all the competent senior officers. And worst of all, get rid of the lying clueless #SecDef.
To RantWoman, after watching a whole lot of candidates endorsed by President #StableGenius lose in their primaries, after watching the President sink and sink and sink in the polls, it must be hard to stay someone's friend and still try to chart a course that is good for the country and for one's state. It is also amusing to read comments on Twitter / X fighting over who is the better Republican and who is more loyal to the President.
Based on Darline's professional background, RantWoman has the strong sense that if Darline would just reality test what she knows of voters' real experiences against #GOP policies, she could nail LOTS of points that would speak to current realities.
Other than that, RantWoman will also continue to try to rehabilitate the term DEI.
Dedication Empathy Imagination
Diligence Energy Initiative....
Darline followed up her Taiwan oopsie at the debate during an interview with Sean Hannity: they both agreed that lots of people in the US, (probably including President #StableGenius?) also don't know where Taiwan is. And of course, with rhetoric firmly on voters' biggest problems, Darline is 100% against transgender women in women's sports.
Even if a Democratic candidate looks good, RantWoman also HATES a sense of being extorted: "Vote for the Democrats or else." RantWoman is still angling for a sense of a Congress willing to work on serious problems, not just get mad and go out of town whenever things get too hard. Plus, RantWoman does not care whether it sounds sexist to say that it would just be cool for once to have strong women candidates from both parties.
OK, RantWoman has a vivid imagination, and does not vote in SC and ...
As a bonus, welcome to the easily misspelled name club. RantWoman has seen SO many sloppy posts that refer to DarlENE rather than DarlINE.
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Iran expanding targets to Europe?
#Iran #Russia #Europe #MemorandumOf Understanding
It's not like Russia is not already "accidentally" lobbing things at the edges of NATO. I t would be really nice if SOMEONE on the current US team understood diplomacy enough to get the US out of the mess it has gotten itself into.
In the meantime, enjoy
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
BBC Interview with Dmitry Muratov and major status updates
#Russia #Ukraine
(Oh my: a journalist conducting an interview in the local language.)
RantWoman offers this item as one Russian voice on Russia's war on Ukraine and Putin's thinking.
And on the other hand: ways Ukraine could make things A LOT worse for Russia, even if N Korea helps
Drones war game with heavy armoed vehicles
Grieving sucks...and then there are bagpipes
Pssst: RantWoman likes bagpipes more than many people do.
RantWoman has no idea what makes a bagpipe band the champions. Comments at the end explain a little.
RantWoman is simply posting this video in fond memory of the bagpipers who practiced in the park across the alley from the RantFamily home in MT.
Grieving gets month anniversaries right now.
Grieving as in working out love and rage, grief and gratitude, gratitude for others sharing the thoughts, encrusted with different details.
Seaborne shipping Chokepoints!
#StraitOfHormuz #BabAlMandab #PanamaCanal #BlackSea #ArcticRoute #SouthChinaSea #RhineRiver #DanubeRiver #GlobalFoodSystem #OilPrices #FoodPrices
An excellent rundown of all the ways global conflicts as well as the effects of climate change in the Panama Canal or European rivers are affecting oil and food prices.
RantWoman has no topical policy or diplomatic suggestions but hopes this outline gives readers info to counteract streams of media nonsense. RantWoman is also looking into more local food production and a solar battery for some key household needs.
Putin Buddies up with North Korea, Did Ukraine take out a train of Korean missiles?
#BallisticMissiles #Wildberries #NorthKorea #LaborPipeline
Did this actually happen?
And a hit on Wildberries in Voronezh
Monday, August 17, 2026
The nuclear button is still a REALLY bad idea
#NuclearWeapons #MadmanTheory #Iran #Oman
Bombing allies also a DUMB idea
Oh, and cozying up to N Korea because South Korea won't play about the US war on Iran.
Words of faith about the Spokane Wildfires
RantWoman disagrees with former Spokan Spokesman Review Columnist Suelanie Madsen abou A LOT but appreciates an authentic voice. DO NOT subscribe to her substack if you are not prepared to read in spite of disagreement.
How to be a good friend in the face of tragedy has been on my mind, and undoubtedly on the the mind of many who have friends affected by the Spokane Complex fires. It was the inspiration for this column.https://t.co/EehLbzjKxm pic.twitter.com/fW9U22yAD6
— Sue Lani Madsen (@SueLaniMadsen) August 16, 2026
RantWoman had been wondering about Suelani's experiences in connection with the Spokane wildfires. Please appreciate these comments in that spirit.
General Dynamics contracting fiascoes
Jaded US taxpayers are probably all too used to endless #DoD cost overruns and the Department of DEFENSE chronic inability to pass any kind of audit. But $500 Million to do NOTHING is a whole new level of kleptocracy.
So on brandin light of a president who managed to bankrupt SIX casions and a #SecDef known for running two veterans' services into the ground.
Sunday, August 16, 2026
Ukraine Russia this week
#Ukraine #Russia #GrainMarket
Grain not moving out of Russia. Silos are full and there are no ships willing to pick it up.
Hits continue on Russian oil production, Wildberries consumer goods warehouses.
Russia losing 20-30 long haul vehicles per day.
This is what a war of attrition looks like.
Stuff on missile requests starts about minute 19:40
LOGISTICS and the Navy
#NavalDeployment #Logistics
RantWoman's comments
Thank you for all your insights.
Clearly allies are a good thing. Wonder who squandered those relationships.
A general calling it a "war?" Shouldn't there be CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL, not just the #SecDef pleading for more $$$ ?
The current state of affairs is fundamentally disrespectful of lots of people doing hard jobs.
(RantWoman is not commenting about the framing of the last 30 years of procurement patterns)
RantWoman is not watching the whole thing.
'The problem is not the ship, it’s their LEADERS': Trump shrugs off USS Lincoln CRISIS | COMPILATION
Some other links
And the #SecDef has a go with insider trading
Friday, August 14, 2026
The "Golden Dome:" another dumb weapon system idea
In case anyone needs some "do not build this" pointers
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Russia threatens global shipping to counter European seizures of shadow fleet and all sorts of other things occur
#Russia #Ukraine #shipping
The delivery is definitely AI. Believable citation of incidents. 3 hard choices at about minute 14
Pet peeve: if your reporting requires you to fling around Russian names and place names, please, pretty please learn to pronounce them correctly.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
James Carville on the Iran War, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the Catering Truck caper
#USSAbrahamLincoln #SecDef #AirForceOne
Dude speaks RantWoman's mind, though RantWoman would not be nearly as salty-tongued about it.
lexicography digression: "salty" used to mean basically foul-mouthed. Now "salty" often just means angry, PO'ed... RantWoman mainly has in mind the older usage.
RantWoman is not going to hold back on the other side.
Dear world,
WHY does anyone expect either President #StableGenius or the #DUIHire #SecDef to CARE about the well-being of the troops on the USS Abraham Lincoln. How many cracks about "suckers and losers?" How much whining about troops' physical appearance or the fact that, gasp, there are women in Leadership???
RantWoman is a cynical witch wandering whether the whole drama is just part of an orchestrated campaign to drag money out of Congress for an unpopular and unaccountable war.
Next the catering cart caper.
First, congratulations to #DonSnoreleone for destroying Iranian military infrastructure over and over, especially since you have destroyed the Iranian miliatary so well that you had to scurry out of Ankara via a catering cart for fear that your plane would get shot down. Congratulations! BRILLIANT!
Dear staff and press gaggle mad about flying on a plane President #StableGenius was not on.
Don't y'all have to sign a lot of liability waivers and other paperwork just for the priviliege of being stenographer to the Toddler in Chief. News flash. The President might get shot at. If you are on the President's plane, you might get shot at too. RantWoman wonders whether there was the same military escort for the presidentless AirForceOne as there would be with the President on it? Why would you expect this president to care AT ALL about your well-being????
Inquiring minds...
Ukraine attacks WildBerries distribution centers and Russian oil infrastructure
#Ukraine #Russia #PatriotMissiles #Boeing
Sooo, are all the assaults on the global oil and gas trade enough to re-energize moves away from dependence on fossil fuels and toward decarbonization????
Are US defense contractors afraid of Ukraine making Patriot missiles more cheaply than the US does?
Monday, August 10, 2026
No. No! No! DO NOT say a woman candidate with decades of service in state government is UNQUALIFIED. DO NOT DO IT!
#SCpol
Tomorrow is the SC #GOP Senate Primary.
First, a debate video.
Adventures of RantWoman: Spectator in Someone Else's Election: the SC GOP Senate primary
RantWoman's instinct is "vote for the woman." RantWoman would SO prefer that Darline Grham had focused more on her experience working in state government in SC than on national GOP talking points.
HOWEVER, here is how Annie Andrews, the Democratic candidate describes the rest of the SC primary field in a fundraising email entitled "Quite the Lineup"
Someone endorsed by Trump, and utterly unqualified.
Dr. Andrews is referring to Darline Graham, younger sister of the late Lindsay Graham.
RantWoman's reaction: "Oh HELL NO." You do not get to proclaim someone with decades of leadership experience in state government unqualified either because of her pedigree or because of her gender. Oh HELL NO!
Someone who lied about being on the Appalachian Trail, while he was actually having an extramarital affair.
Someone with a career of votes against the healthcare, food assistance, and public schools South Carolina families count on.
Quite the lineup, right?
Here's a wild idea: a Senator who's spent her career caring for the communities she’s running to represent, who’s honest, and who will vote to protect your family.
I'm a pediatrician and a mom of three. I've spent decades taking care of kids in this state, I don't take a dime of corporate PAC money, and I'm not running to be another rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s chaos — I'm running for you.
But here's the reality: Whomever Republicans pick out of that mess tomorrow walks away with a multi-million war chest, Trump's machine, and super PACs behind them. The only way we'll be ready to meet that is if our grassroots movement builds up strength — right now.
RantWoman votes in WA, not in SC
RantWoman still thinks it would be just fine if there were two women on the SC Senate ballot.
In the meantime, RantWoman is not sending anyone any money in this race!
Cenk Uygur on peace options?
#Iran #Israel #Oman #negotiations
From Belle
Let's talk about Iran giving Trump new demands….
From Cenk Uygur
BREAKING: More DISASTROUS News About the War! No Way Out?!
(Cenk on "balance of power"
Sunday, August 9, 2026
Scott Bessent making himself irrelevant? You broke it; you bought it!
#Iran #StraitOfHormuz #commodities #Houthis
In case anyone is tempted to take US Secretary of the Treasury seriously about world trade.
OR is Secretary Bessent trying to deflect attention to some ship movement, some or all of which may be covert, eg sailing "dark."
Friday, August 7, 2026
Ukraine Russian Iran Kleptocracy
#Ukraine #Russia #WildBerries #OilProduction #PersianGulf #Iran #NorthKorea #BallisticeMissiles #Europe
RantWoman is posting two videos with divergent themes in one post for convenience.
Terminology note: WildBerries is described as the Russian version of Amazon. Its CEO is a Russian guy who lives in China
RantWoman should probably find a less snarky way to suggest that there have to be better ways out of fossil fuel dependence than the current war(s)
How do President #StableGenius and fam want to make money in Ukraine
The Patriot deal / non deal
"What is the mechanism by which dissatisfaction translates into action."
"The remains an ambiguous opaque ...player."
A possible mass mobilization? Importation from everywhere.
The coalition of autocracies: Russia, China, North Korea, Iran
Gulf states wanting Ukrainian interceptor technology
"Sometimes a smaller power winds up with advantages."
Thursday, August 6, 2026
Sal on the most recent Iran Oman proposal
#Iran #Oman #MoU #InternationalLaw #WarRiskInsurance
NO military solution but will President #StableGenius find the off ramp???
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Kazakh President Tokayev gives Putin What For and Russians tell him to go to N Korea
#Russia #Kazakhstan #Ukraine #China
Serious counterpoints to Russian propaganda point
OMG. Putin is at least as pathetic as President #StableGenius
content warning. "Human safari"
US and French intelligence sharing
Monday, August 3, 2026
A great Wind blows the Saturday Blue Angels air show out of the sky.
What? No Blue Angels on Saturday?
Blue Angels air show canceled Saturday at Seafair due to wind | The Seattle Times
Wind gusts of up to 15 mph?
Neither RantWoman nor Little Sister has EVER heard of the Blue Angels being cancelled because of wind.
Was it REALLY wind?
Not grumpy citizen chatter about noise or surface to air missiles?
Not hacking by the IRGC?
Not a sudden urge to cut back on things like fancy air shows so that the #DoD really truly can afford all the latest war?
Not reticence about whether we even need fighter planes if everyone is busy hitting each other with better and fancier drones?
Shush RantWoman. Settle down and enjoy the peace and quite.
But Wait, videos for people who really LIKE air shows.
This must have been the Friday show.
Blue Angels July 2026 Seattle SeaFair
For anyone who might actually think a ride-along is FUN
KOMO's Molly Shen takes flight with the Blue Angels over Seattle
A few seconds here and there that might evoke motion sickness.
Listening to some of the details of the different maneuvers, RantWoman will NOT comment about the 15mph wind cancellation
Seattle Seafair Blue Angels Airshow 2026
But wait! Couldn't we put some of that flying talent to work fighting wildfires? Just wondering.
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Snapshots from the Ukraine Russian war
#Ukraine #Russia #Oil #EnergyEconomy #Crimea
Ukraine attacks on Russian oil production facilities and energy market
Putin Has Completely Lost Crimea | Paul Warburg
pedantic point in passing: Ufa is NOT all the way to Siberia. It's near the Volga river
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