Jacob Parakilas
@jparakilas.bsky.social
RAND Europe defenc/se strategy and policy guy. Dad joker, aircraft/car/ship/armored vehicle nerd, recovering civil servant. Lewiston to London via Lagos.
My current mood, according to Spotify, can best be described as "seasonally appropriate menace."
November 18, 2025 at 9:08 AM
My current mood, according to Spotify, can best be described as "seasonally appropriate menace."
As a side note, the Seaplane Harbour museum in Tallinn is an A-tier tourist destination if you find yourself in this lovely city with a few hours to spare...
September 24, 2025 at 12:23 PM
As a side note, the Seaplane Harbour museum in Tallinn is an A-tier tourist destination if you find yourself in this lovely city with a few hours to spare...
Today was a Good Day in the office.
July 18, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Today was a Good Day in the office.
I think the thing that will stick with me, leaving Kyiv early on a warm summer morning immediately after the largest drone strike yet in the war, is the sensation of a vibrant city wrapped in a pall of smoke and the smell of cordite.
July 4, 2025 at 4:40 PM
I think the thing that will stick with me, leaving Kyiv early on a warm summer morning immediately after the largest drone strike yet in the war, is the sensation of a vibrant city wrapped in a pall of smoke and the smell of cordite.
Lots of good choices but nothing hits that Rube Goldberg needless complexity thing like Sandy Silo:
June 28, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Lots of good choices but nothing hits that Rube Goldberg needless complexity thing like Sandy Silo:
One thing I didn't realize until I saw one up close is that the UMPK glide bomb is a wildly jury-rigged looking thing: sloppy welding, exposed screws etc. And yet it's one of the biggest challenges the Ukrainians are facing. Just goes to show that aesthetics and effectiveness don't necessarily align
February 23, 2025 at 7:10 PM
One thing I didn't realize until I saw one up close is that the UMPK glide bomb is a wildly jury-rigged looking thing: sloppy welding, exposed screws etc. And yet it's one of the biggest challenges the Ukrainians are facing. Just goes to show that aesthetics and effectiveness don't necessarily align
I'm just back from a week in Kyiv, and for all the things I learned and saw I don't think anything will stick with me more than this brief stop we made to the memorial to those lost in the war that's grown organically at the outskirts of Maidan Square.
February 23, 2025 at 2:50 PM
I'm just back from a week in Kyiv, and for all the things I learned and saw I don't think anything will stick with me more than this brief stop we made to the memorial to those lost in the war that's grown organically at the outskirts of Maidan Square.
... Ok I got curious and ran the prompt through AI and annoyingly its effort was a lot better than mine.
January 24, 2025 at 3:34 PM
... Ok I got curious and ran the prompt through AI and annoyingly its effort was a lot better than mine.
Here's the access road to our building, located in what is literally the Park Place on the Lagos Monopoly board, after a heavy-but-not-unusual rainfall, thanks to a total lack of investment in drainage.
January 23, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Here's the access road to our building, located in what is literally the Park Place on the Lagos Monopoly board, after a heavy-but-not-unusual rainfall, thanks to a total lack of investment in drainage.
A non-LOTR character who could resist the One Ring
December 23, 2024 at 8:14 AM
A non-LOTR character who could resist the One Ring
This was this morning. Then brilliant sunshine all afternoon. Forecast of heavy rain later tonight. Bring a raincoat and sunglasses.
October 18, 2024 at 7:55 PM
This was this morning. Then brilliant sunshine all afternoon. Forecast of heavy rain later tonight. Bring a raincoat and sunglasses.
On the plus side, in Season 1 (spoilers) they do literally rescue a hostage, so I like my odds. On the other hand, there's going to be a bunch of wreckage on the way, and I'll probably have to ride home with Gary Oldman burping at me the whole time.
September 7, 2024 at 9:31 AM
On the plus side, in Season 1 (spoilers) they do literally rescue a hostage, so I like my odds. On the other hand, there's going to be a bunch of wreckage on the way, and I'll probably have to ride home with Gary Oldman burping at me the whole time.
Sometimes you have the camera going at exactly the right moment.
August 27, 2024 at 10:39 PM
Sometimes you have the camera going at exactly the right moment.
If you see this, post a picture you took at sunset.
June 17, 2024 at 6:25 AM
If you see this, post a picture you took at sunset.
Good tank at scale, side armor could have been better.
May 22, 2024 at 6:07 PM
Good tank at scale, side armor could have been better.
Hell yeah hydrofoil
May 22, 2024 at 6:30 AM
Hell yeah hydrofoil
Does this count as a handshake
May 10, 2024 at 7:57 PM
Does this count as a handshake
Photography pro tip: always check the foreground when composing a landscape shot.
February 16, 2024 at 1:43 PM
Photography pro tip: always check the foreground when composing a landscape shot.
I'm already dead and will soon be podcast material.
January 12, 2024 at 9:54 PM
I'm already dead and will soon be podcast material.