As I’m sure you know, two years into the war President Zelenskyy just dismissed his senior general and is calling for a new strategy. What might that mean? Begin at the beginning: Russia invaded on as poor a net assessment of the enemy as can be imagined. It was as far off as Hannibal’s assessment […]

There has been some interesting talk in the past week about deterrence and escalation and proportionality and I’m beginning to wonder if those words still mean what I thought they mean, like the word “secret” on the front page of a newspaper. But it’s important to review what they really mean because getting this wrong […]

Author’s Note: And the Muse appeared in my morning in Tidewater- it would make a good start for a Neil Simon play… – Arrias Wide Awake It all started with a very strange dream, But no beautiful maiden and a dragon, Just me and an old Navy buddy, Cans of caviar and a station wagon. […]

Now 3 Americans have been killed in Syria. Now what? Before answering that, ask yourself how many lives this is worth. And by that, I don’t mean American lives, I mean Yemeni and Iranian lives. As strange as it may seem (or perhaps not so strange), the American population seems ready to see Americans come […]

Author’s Note: Reading lots of reports and blogs, trying to understand it all, then dreams of poor bastards in the trenches… – Arrias Two years of war in the cold and mud, Two years, no end in sight. Two years and more they’ve fought and died, Sometimes it’s not clear who’s wrong, who’s right. Mostly […]

Alice: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” The Cheshire Cat: “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.” Alice: “I don’t much care where.” The Cheshire Cat: “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.” From 1775 to 1783 the 13 Colonies were just […]

On the midnight train to Nairobi I met a red haired English girl, Bright blue eyes and fair of face, She gave my heart a whirl. We dined on sole and a fine white wine, To the clicking of the rail’s refrains, Bathed in brilliant Moonlight, As we rolled across Africa’s plains. She talked about […]

One of the questions that keeps popping up in editorials, at least in the last month or two, is whether or not the folks in the White House want Ukraine to win the war with Russia. There are, of course, two obvious answers to that question – yes and no. But I have an unpleasant […]

Author’s Note: Rains came through during the day, the dogs joined me in the office, I got down to give them belly rubs… things evolved from there… – Arrias Persian Carpets On the floor next to Porter, Huddled close, she keeps me warm, Listening to the Brandenburg concertos, Outside brews a winter storm. What is […]

Author’s Note: I forget – is it the last log entry of the year or the first log entry of the new year??? – Arrias 2023 In Ukraine the war grinds on Bakhmut, Marinka, et al, Soldiers died by the thousands Buildings pounded into rubble Where will it end, this nasty war, Everyone’s really beginning […]