Youtube video from the Sun shows Ukrainian "dragon drone" drop thermite on a Russian tank
TALES FROM A PARAMEDIC, PILOT, CAVER, and FIREFIGHTER, WHO MEET IN ANTARCTICA, AND GO ON TO HAVE MANY ADVENTURES IN NEW ZEALAND, TONGA, FIJI, VANUATU, WEST AFRICA, AND UKRAINE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Structural Firefighting/ARFF/Joint Antarctic Search and Rescue Team at McMurdo Station Winfly- Summer- Winterover. Sailing a 37' Tayana sailboat in the South Pacific. Ebola Response. Wildland firefighting. War Medic in Ukraine.
Youtube video from the Sun shows Ukrainian "dragon drone" drop thermite on a Russian tank
Here it is again… fall mushroom season in Utah!
This foray was to the Wasatch Front in early September. Even
at 8,000’, it was pretty warm out, and I wondered if we would find
anything. Dry grasses and forbs
crunch-crunched underfoot in an un-promising manner.
Then my footsteps fell silent as I approached a small
stream. This moist micro-habitat, it turned out, was full of mushrooms! Great
find!
Here’s some Cortinarius mushrooms, members of a very large genus which is identifiable by weblike remnants of a cortina on their stems. The cortina is a delicate structure that covers the gills, coming away as the mushroom matures. In the third picture below, a bit of cortina can be seen, still connecting stipe to cap.
Fungi are just about the only organisms that can decompose
lignin, a key component of wood. If not for the vast amount of lignin-digesting
fungi that inhabit the woods, we would be awash in dead and down logs in
perpetuum. Chunky “brown rot”, below, is left behind by organisms that only
consume cellulose. “White rot” fungus consumes both lignin and cellulose,
leaving a pale residue.
Here is Lacterius deliciosa. The lacterius genus oozes white
“milk” from their gills when damaged. In this case, deliciosa is a misnomer-
this mushroom will make you sick.
Below is Sarcodon – the shingled hedgehog. An easy-to-recognize
edible mushroom with a unique musky, minty odor. Some like it and some don’t.
They are better young, becoming bitter when older. The hedgehog has teeth
instead of gills or a polypore structure.
Below is a picture of Cryptospore fungus on a tree trunk. Beetles crawl into the
fungal case to feed, and are covered in spores, which they carry to a new tree.
On the overhanging banks of the stream, hiding amongst
mosses, were charming little bright orange Scutellinia scutelata “eyelash
mushrooms”. Under a magnifying glass, these tiny orange cups are fringed by
eyelash-like hairs.
Porcini bolete- the Utah state mushroom is a large, choice
edible! It can be recognized by its polypore underside, reticulum on stem, and
“penny bun” cap. It is mycorrhizal, often found under younger spruce trees.
The bolete was followed by a couple of rare finds: elven saddles! Top photo is a white one, and the black one in the lower photos may be a new species.
Check out this video, posted by Special Kherson Cat, of a Ukrainian drone dropping fire into a treeline:
-Ser Jorah Mormont, quoting a Dothraki legend, Game of Thrones.
On a recent hike through the Sonoran desert, the warm air and fantastic shapes of the cactus around me made it easy to imagine I was diving on a tropical reef. At the same time, I had a strange feeling I was in Africa. Numerous acacia trees created classic Africa skyline sillouettes, and beneath them waved a sea of amber grass. The grass was fully cured, the air was 110 degrees, and monsoonal lightning storms were approaching. Minus the cactus, it looked just like West Africa during the harmattan/fire season.
But, unlike many Sahel ecosystems, the Sonoran Desert is not fire adapted. It seemed like this impossibly combustible cocktail should have done in the slow-growing saguaros and other cacti long ago. Some research proved the resemblance to Africa wasn't coincidental; African and Mediterranean fire-adapted grasses have invaded the Sonoran Desert, threatening ecological catastrophe.
The real-world equivalent of Game of Throne's Dothraki Ghost Grass consists of a sinister trio: Cheat Grass, Buffle Grass, and Red Brome. For Western Deserts, the 19th-century introduction of these old-world grasses was, arguably, the most ecologically consequential event since the last Glacial Period.
Adapted to Mediterranean and African conditions, inluding drought and wildfire, these grasses outcompete American species, such as sage and native bunchgrass. Cheatgrass, Red Brome, and Buffel grass create soil characteristics unfavorable for native desert plants. Drying out early into continous fuel bed, they carry wildfire across desert landscapes, where plant spacing used to prevent fire from spreading. Invasive grasses have spread throughout the West, from Texas to California, and the Dakotas to Arizona. Below, a field of invasive red brome fills in the spaces between saguaros.
The NPS publishes the guide, seen below, to identifying and eradicating Red Brome. The eradication options (hand-pulling bunches of grass, or five years of annual herbicide application) may work for individual homeowners. Unfortunately, the idea of implementing these on a large-enough scale to protect the vast stretches of Sonoran Desert which have been invaded by Red Brome is laughable.Here is a youtube link to a 2022 version performed by Pink Floyd Chervona Kalina, with Pink Floyd
Chervona Kalina, lyrics:
In the meadow, a red kalyna
In the meadow, there a red kalyna, has bent down low ,
For some reason, our glorious Ukraine, has been worried so.
And we'll take that red kalyna and we will raise it up,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey - hey, cheer up - and rejoice!
And we'll take that red kalyna and we will raise it up,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey - hey, cheer up - and rejoice!
Do not bend low, Oh red kalyna, You have a white flower.
Do not worry, glorious Ukraine, You have a free people.
And we'll take that red kalyna and will raise it up,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey - hey, cheer up - and rejoice!
And we'll take that red kalyna and will raise it up,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey - hey, cheer up - and rejoice!
Marching forward, our fellow volunteers, into a bloody fray,
For to free, our brother - Ukrainians, from hostile chains.
And we, our brother - Ukrainians, we will then liberate,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey - hey, cheer up - and rejoice!
And we, our brother - Ukrainians, we will then liberate,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey - hey, cheer up - and rejoice!
In the field, of early spring wheat, there's a golden furrow,
Then began, the Ukrainian riflemen to, engage the enemy,
And we'll take, that precious, early wheat and will gather it,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey - hey, cheer up - and rejoice!
And we'll take, that precious, early wheat and will gather it,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey - hey, cheer up - and rejoice!
When the stormy winds blow forth from the wide steppes,
They will glorify, through out Ukraine, the Sich riflemen.
And we'll take the glory of the riflemen preserving it,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey - hey, cheer up - and rejoice!
And we'll take the glory of the riflemen preserving it,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey - hey, cheer up - and rejoice!
Prospects for limb salvage after tourniquet placement has become a crucial matter for thousands of soldiers and their surgeons in the Ukraine war. Near-peer fighting conditions and lack of air superiority can create extended evacuation times for casualties. Drone threats to moving vehicles have become so pervasive that, in many areas, the last few miles up to the zero line area only traversable on foot. Beyond this zone, mud, bombing damage, UXOs, and the impossibility of road maintenance make vehicle evacuation slow and bumpy. Patients must often wait for nightfall to evacuate, and dawn-dusk day length at the height of summer on the Eastern Front is 17 hours. Today, almost two years into the war, high attrition rates amongst experienced frontline medics means loss of TCCC tourniquet conversion knowledge along the frontline.
For medics and doctors in forward casualty collection and stabilization points, who are receiving tourniqueted patients after prolonged evacuations from a near-peer conflict area, assessing patient candidacy for tourniquet conversion (i.e. removal and replacement with a simple pressure dressing) or movement of tourniquet to a more distal location is a critical outcome-changing skill. Just as important as assessing limb salvageability is 1) readiness to manage acute complications such as acidosis and dysrhythmias, and 2) ensuring that timely transfer to higher-level care is available for potential medium-term complications, such as compartment syndrome and acute renal failure.
Current TCCC guidance assumes that limb salvage becomes highly unlikely 6 hours or more after tourniquet placement. However, this guidance is unavoidably based on the extremely limited data pool available to date. Limb salvage after tourniquet placement is a young and weak science, which stands to benefit greatly from case reporting and retrospective studies originating from the Ukrainian conflict. If we look only at the small pool of my personal experience as a paramedic in Ukraine, several case examples of physician-directed conversions of tourniquets in place for over 6 hours have been performed, or given post-conversion management, by either myself or my immediate colleagues. Clearly, amputating every limb that has been touniqueted for more than 6 hours would result in unnecessary negative life impacts for patients.
Current tourniquet science is based on animal studies done in controlled environments, and a very small number of human case reports. Tourniquets are widely used in routine surgeries, but tourniquet use in traumatic wartime injuries is a completely different animal. The reality of warfare adds in a number of important and unforeseen variables, which defy efforts to cleanly categorize patients as <6 hours vs >6 hours:
1) initial tourniquet placement is likely to occur under extreme conditions. Often, the soldier placing the tourniquet has minimal medical training, may be physically and/or mentally exhausted (many Ukrainian soldiers have been deployed for nearly 2 years with little or no leave). He or she may be receiving fire and/or returning fire, and may be working in conditions of darkness, loud noise, and confusion. The soldier placing the tourniquet may have reduced fine motor control due to cold, exhaustion, or adrenaline, or may be injured themselves. Weather and fighting conditions may have led to heat exhaustion, dehydration, nutritional deficits, soaked clothing, icy gear, numb fingers, or cold injuries of feet and hands, and rapid assessment and tourniquet placement and/or other bleeding control measures may have to be performed over/through multiple layers of clothing and body armor. Tourniquet availability on the frontlines is limited and likely to consist of a mish-mash of tourniquet brands and styles. These factors often conspire to create "partial-tourniqueted" patients. Tourniquets may be tightened enough to slow, but not fully stop, bleeding and limb perfusion. Venous and capillary return may be cut off, without halting arterial inflow.
2) Due to frontline conditions, time of original placement of tourniquets is frequently estimated, or missing altogether.
3) Environmental conditions and threats during evacuation may necessitate rapid movement and rough handling of the patient, which may lead to tourniquet loosening or temporary dislodgement. Poorly made or re-used tourniquets may stretch over time or fail, lead to placement of multiple tourniquets, and intermittent periods of reperfusion or partial reperfusion.
4) Intentional attempts at tourniquet conversion may be made in the field. Due to fighting conditions, these field attempts may or may not be accurately recorded in the documentation that reaches field hospitals. Patient evacuation routes shift frequently, and patients may pass through multiple patient care teams, comprised of a cast of medical providers that shifts daily.
5) The tourniqueted limb may be subjected to a variety of physiological and environmental conditions, including varying levels of external cooling, varying states of patient blood loss and shock, and varying levels of resuscitative care received.
Due to these variables, Ukrainian doctors cannot rely on hard-and-fast rules such as the 6-hour tourniquet rule. Many tourniquets were placed with good intent, but were never necessary in the first place. Doctors are often forced to decide, based on clinical observations and professional experience, whether tourniquet removal is in the patient's best interest. Does the probability of limb salvage outweigh potential systemic risks to patients? Objective numerical values from blood testing can inform these decisions, if lab services are available. But more often, the critical time for this decision occurs at minimally-equipped forward field treatment points, and thus it must be made based on time of injury, exposure to weather, limb skin color and temperature, injury patterns, and overall patient presentation.
Here is an interesting case report from Kragh et al, published in Orthopedic Trauma in 2007, which represents the realities of tourniquet placement in conflicts, as well as variability in limb salvage times. The patient, an American helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, was shot in the hand and received RPG shrapnel to one leg. Hemorrhage from the hand was stopped 1 hour after injury by a combination of one purpose-built and one improvised tourniquet. Bleeding recurred 6 hours after injury, and was stopped by tightening the tourniquet. The pilot lay in a snowdrift, with temperatures at -15C, for a half-day after injury. After that, he was insulated by blankets made from cut-out aircraft insulation. Evacuation was delayed due to an ongoing firefight, mountainous terrain, and inclement weather. The patient arrived at a forward surgical facility after 16 hours of continuous tourniquet placement. He had severe soft tissue loss, irreparable radial artery damage, and compartment syndrome. He underwent surgical debridement and irrigation, radial artery ligation, and 3 dorsal + 2 ventral hand fasciotomies, and the operating surgeon deemed hand preservation was questionable. Repeated surgical debridement and irrigation took place over the next month, first at Landstuhl, Germany, then at Walter Reed, before primary wound closure was accomplished. Several more surgeries and physical therapy followed, to correct pain and stiffness. By three years after injury, the patient had recovered sufficiently to use the hand for activities of daily living, and to return to piloting Chinook helicopters.
The chlorine in the clouds is actually breaking down ozone as we watch- chlorine combines with 03 to form ClO and O2, then ClO interacts further with O3 to form Cl and O2. Thus the chlorine is recycled in the equation and oxygen is formed from the breakdown of ozone.
Atmospheric chlorine comes from natural reservoirs such as acid clouds in the atmosphere. (Interestingly high-flying fighter jets experience etching of glass and metal due to atmospheric acid, and many commercial airliners needed scarred windows replaced in the months after the eruption of Mt Pinatubo released sulfuric acid into the atmosphere). The breakdown of CFCs has added to Earth's natural reservoirs of atmospheric chlorine and resulted in the ozone hole in the Southern Hemisphere. There is actually more chlorine in the skies over equatorial latitudes, but the chemical processes which break down ozone occur at high latitude. Ozone is produced naturally by O2 interacting with the solar winds. Therefore banning of CFCs means eventually the excess chlorine will be naturally cycled out and the ozone layer should reseal, but this will take several generations.
In the meanwhile we enjoy a beautiful pheonomenon with disturbing implications behind it.
Several videos have emerged this week, showing Bradley Fighting Vehicles successfully taking on advanced Russian T-90 tanks.
From Special Kherson Cat on Twitter, video of Bradley IFV vs T-90 in Avdiivka
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Kh-47 Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles, NATO name "Killjoy", entered service in 2017, design based on the older Iskander missile, uses standard ballistic missile technology at greater speeds. After launch, the missile rapidly reaches cruising speeds of Mach 4, and up to Mach 10 on a downward trajectory. Maneuverable, erratic flight path. Originally touted as "impossible to intercept" by Russia, Kinzhals have been used extensively in Ukraine, and a significant proportion of them were successfully shot down by Patriot air defense systems in 2023. They have also proven to be fairly inaccurate. Image from By kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68926303
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Kaliber cruise missile, in service 1994, some models are capable of a supersonic terminal sprint, traves at ~70' over water, or ~150-350' over land, uses inertial guidance +terminal radar or satellite guidance,
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Iskander mobile ground-launched, short-range hypersonic ballistic missile, NATO name "Stone", first launched in 1996, as a replacement to the SCUD missile, uses inertial guidance or GPS, depending on model, can be re-targeted midflight, uses evasive maneuvers and decoys during terminal flight, travels at an altitude of 20,000-160,000 feet. Used in Syria, Georgia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Ukraine wars. In the summer of 2023, an Iskander was used to destroy Ria Pizzeria, a restaurant in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, frequented by journalists, aid workers, and military members. The famous Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina was killed, along with a pair of 14-year-old twin sisters, and 10 others. Dozens were injured.
Image from Vitaly V. Kuzmin - http://www.vitalykuzmin.net/Military/ARMY-2016-Demonstration/, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52213498
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Kh-101 / Kh-555 / Kh-55 family of air-launched subsonic cruise missiles, Nato name "Kent", in service 1983, inertial guidance with terminal radar/terrain map, capable of cruising at tree-top level, the original Kh-55 ran on a Ukrainian-made Sich motor, used in Syria and Ukraine wars
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Kh-22 "Storm" missiles. NATO name "Kitchen". Large, long-range anti-ship missile developed in 1962. Climbs to either 89,000' (high-altitude mode) or 39,000' (low-altitude mode), then hits top speed while dropping towards target. Guided by radio altimeter and gyroscope-stabilized autopilot. A 1,000kg shape-charge load results in a 16' wide, 40' deep hole. First combat use was in May of 2022 in Ukraine. Use against targets in civilian areas of Ukraine has been criticized due to low accuracy. Image by By Антон Бородин - Музей авиационной техники, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10658517
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Kh-59 "Ovod" or "Gadfly" guided aerially-launched land-attack cruise missiles. Developed in the 1980's. Flies at about 22' above water, or 300-3,000' above ground, using a radio altimeter. Used in Chechnya and Ukraine.
Cost #USD | Warhead Size | Warhead Type | Missile Length, Speed | Engine | Range, Accuracy | Launch Platform | |
S300 | 1 million | up to 143 kg | 19,000-36,000 metal frag,s | ~25' | up to 250 nm | vehicle-based | |
Kinzhal | 10 million | 480kg | Conventional or nuclear | 25' Mach 10 | solid-fuel rocket | 300nm | Tu-22 Mig-31 |
Kaliber | 1 million | 500kg | Conventional or nuclear | ~25' Mach 3 | solid-fuel rocket or turbojet | up to 1300nm | Air, ship, or sub launched |
Iskander | 3 million | 480-700kg | Cluster, thermobaric, EMP, frag, bunker busting, nuclear | 25' Mach 7 | single-stage solid propellant | 300nm 3' - 100' | vehicle |
Kh-101 | 13 million | 400mg | conventional or nuclear | 24' Mach 0.7 | turbofan jet | 3500nm 20-33' | bomber aircraft |
Kh-22 | 1 million | 1,000 kg | RDX or thermo - nuclear | 38' Mach 4.6 | liquid - fueled rocket | 320 nm 300-900' | Tu-22 Tu-95 |
Kh-59 | 500,000 | 320 kg | Cluster, Shape-Charge Frag | 18' Mach 0.8 | 2-stage rocket | 60-160nm | Sukhoi and Mig jets |
Info from Jane's Air-Launched Missiles