I thought it might be a good opportunity to have a discussion about what is actually happening in the space rather than have another ‘analyst decides moons are worth $5’ post.
I myself am not overly involved in the tech or have the slightest idea of how it works, but we have been in a pretty extended bear market despite the recent pumps, and I would assume a number of projects have continued to make significant developments during that time, or new projects with bold ideas have come out.
I know moons and their potential impact on social networks has become a theme of the sub, but is there anything else that has started the next wave of progress in the space?

At first, I realized that I have been lagging and learning slow, when I can learn something in a week a normal person can in a cpuple days. I have been diagnosed with ADHD since february and might be the reason why I struggle so much learning programming, probably also because I'm easily distracted.
I have been trying to learn non-stop due to our classroom setups' hellish training. Several mental breakdowns later, I have finally found my bane of existence: CI/CD. I love this one, but doesn't love me back. I thought I was doing good at my progress due to my efforts (I rest properly, although most of my time is spent on testing codes, reading docs which I can't properly do, etc.). I thought my work was plain and simple, very readable. Then I saw my peer's code. It's very clean, looks complicated at first glance, but is very readable. It is much more effective code that I have, and also properly implements the requirements given by our trainers. I feel very disheartened and encouraged at the same time.
Now this may look like a rant or an offmychest post, but I am asking, not only ADHD devs but also regular devs who struggled at these. How did you guys try to overcome your struggles? I feel worthless minsan, especially when I knew that they had sufficient rest and did so much with the time I'm struggling so much with something so trivial. Any help would do kasi I'm very desperate right now. Thanks

“Any time I run I get an upset stomach. The floodgates just whoosh open.”
“What was your mile time?”
“They’re mission driven down there. It’s part of why I can’t be mad.”
“Hold on. I’m gonna take a picture. File a report.”
“It didn’t used to be a problem but now it’s getting progressively worse.”
“It’s a different day.”
“This new intern is pushing me right to the limit.”
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy! Look! Duckies! Duckies! HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK! HELLO DUCKIES! HONK HONK HONK HONK!”
“I didn’t even make it back to my car last time. I had to bolt off the path, call an Uber to the side of the road, and ride to the nearest Walmart to use their facilities.”
“Just a little further. Gut it out.”
“Maybe we’ll stop after and get smoothies.”
“I get that she’s young and she’s new. But you know when you get into this kind of work that if our clients, you know, only made great life choices 100% of the time, then they wouldn’t be seeking our services. So for her to coming in with a dismissive or standoffish attitude like she’s judging them makes me want to just pull the plug on the whole thing. I want to support the schools and I‘ve only had good experiences with this program in the past. But this year I might really just pull the plug on the whole thing.”
“My friend grew up around there and she only has good things to say if I recall right.”
“On your left.”
“There’s a bench coming up.”
“It’s finally getting to that, like, sweet spot Goldilocks weather. I’d, man, I’d sleep outside if I could.”

As much as I like Vaush, whenever he opens his mouth about Ukraine I skip cause I can't stand him, it's like I'd listen to McConnell, Bolton or some Pentagon press secretary. Progressive democrats will support every single dollar to create and send more deadly weapons, in the UK the Labour leader kicked out Corbyn for calling NATO for what it is, an imperialistic organization and basically blackmailed others- either you fall in line and won't criticize NATO, or you'll be out too.
The only acceptable violence the left should ever go behind is the working class taking on the capitalists and seizing the means of production. The concept of a naiton is fake, the class struggle is not- russian capitalists exploit russian working class as much as ukrainian do with theirs, we shouldn't make this war longer by giving more weapons and make more people die for it, it's not a worthy cause. When one fascist president attacks the other there is no way I can support either, we should arm Amazon workers across the world, not Zelensky, not imperalistic NATO.
I've read a lot about the opposition to Vietnam war and how the pressure made it possible to change the course of the US government and pull out, it's horrendous to me that now the position of supporting peace is not only attacked by the right and centre, but many leftists too.

Upstream:

• 🚀 LibrePhotos: We now have a new docs page!
• 🚀 Mobile: Added downloading image to local storage
• 🚀 Mobile: Implemented backing up photos
• 🚀 Mobile: Implemented to remove backed up images
• 🚀 Mobile: Show local images
• ✨ LibrePhotos: Improve test coverage (Implemented by sickelap)
• ✨ Mobile: List rendering now faster
• ✨ Docs: Added docs for uploading images
• ✨ Docs: Added docs for job system
• ✨ Docs: Added docs for settings
• ✨ Docs: Updated features for Google Photos and Immich (Implemeted by WhiteHatRootkitJedi and justadri)
• 🔨 LibrePhotos: Fixed ARM64/PyTorch Fatal Python error: Illegal instruction
• 🔨 LibrePhotos: Fixed import of RAW (.NEF) files
• 🔨 LibrePhotos: Fixed a bug, where removing missing images would get stucl
• 🔨 Mobile: Login does now work correctly with case-sensitive usernames

New Issues:

• 🐛 Can share picture but not albums (Link)
• 🐛 [CRITICAL] WORKER TIMEOUT (Link)
• 💡 Support for google motion photos (Link)
• 🐛 Hidden file can be event album cover (Link)
• 💡 Add JXL file support (Link)
• 💡 ability to deselect subfolders for inclusion (Link)
• 🐛 No local photos (Link)
• 🐛 Scan job exits with exception Internal Server Error: /api/jobs/(Link)
• 💡 Implement backing up only certain locations (Link)
• 💡 Implement uploading images from the background (Link)
• 💡 Notify the user to activate MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE (Link)
• 💡 Replace pylint, black and isort with ruff (Link)
• 🐛 Delete Missing Photos Stuck (Link)
• 🐛 Long name in face selection don't work well (Link)
• 🐛 The faces tab scrolling is very slow with huge amount of face to sort (Link)
• 🐛 In face tab when typing the name it says person already exist and can't see to this (Link)
• 💡 In faces tab, have the possibility to sort by more photos that match faces (Link)
• 💡 Implement viewing videos (Link)
• 💡 Migrate to TypeScript (Link)
• 💡 Implement directory permission checker (Link)
• 💡 Single sourcing of state management and translations between frontend and mobile (Link)

If you are interested on how I develop this application, you can watch me develop features live on my channel
Sponsoring development:
My work is sponsored by 7 awesome people!
If you like the work I do, then you can support me via GitHub sponsors or via PayPal

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Species: cat Age: 9-10 Sex/Neuter status: female Breed: moggy Body weight: 4.2kg History: Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease, Periodontal disease Clinical signs: lump felt across her lower trachea/ chest area, probably around 1.5 inches in size. Otherwise behaviour is normal and she is eating well etc. Only other new symptom is slight snoring. Duration: first noticed in December 2022 Your general location: United Kingdom
Hi, So I took my cat to the vets in late December because she kept breaking into cupboards and stealing food and knocking the bin over trying to get meals etc. thinking perhaps she was experiencing hyperthyroidism. The vet examined her neck for an enlarged thyroid and said that they could feel a large and unusual mass, too big to be even a swollen thyroid, but that it felt even on both sides, almost like a muscle. She got her bloods done and her thyroid came back as normal and all her vitals came back normal. However, they flagged up that her creatinine levels were slightly high but almost dismissed it, saying it was maybe a false result because she hadn’t been starved before the test. She had to get her vaccinations and general check up in February and a different vet said her previous bloods were actually worrying and to get them redone and the results were that the creatinine levels had doubled in this short time and she was diagnosed with stage 3 chronic kidney disease. Her thyroid function actually came up as low. They tested her calcium levels which came up high and her calcium iodine levels which came back high as well and she was put on a prescription diet. She has a massive appetite still and her energy levels are high when food is involved but she’s completely lost interest in playing over the last few months. Despite, going to the vet 3 times last month they did not pick up on the unusual growth on her neck, even though they have commented on it before and it’s much more noticeable now. It feels different depending on how she is sitting: when she sits with her chest up, it feels fairly firm, slight squishiness and not too moveable but when she is lying down it is harder to locate and feels softer or almost like two lumps or glands either side of her trachea. Unusually, I think it is positioned around where the thyroid is but as the vet said in december it seems too big to be a swollen gland / thyroid. I couldn’t really feel what the vet was feeling back then though but this feels impossible to miss. I initially thought that it was swelling from all the blood work she’s had but that was a month ago now. Is it likely to be a benign lipoma rather than something more serious or is the fast progression of her ckd a bad sign?

Hi! I'm new to reddit, but made an account in hopes of getting more personal opinions than just googling articles. I hope I'm doing this posting thing right.
I'm a 21 year old autistic woman from Finland and I have major trouble leaving the house on my own. My biggest issue is anxiety, I'm so afraid of having a breakdown that I don't even want to try. For the record I've experienced panic attacks, anxiety attacks, sensory overloads and severe stomach issues while out there, so my fears aren't exactly unfounded. I've tried my best to power through the fears and work through that anxiety with my therapist, support people, and my mom's help. However although there are days I'm successful, it's not a progression as much as a rare good day. I've come to the conclusion that I'm not going to have the freedom I want unless I embrace my need for further assistance and tools.
Currently I'm looking into hiring a support person who'd drive to the city with me. As well as reading about service dogs. However I want to know if there are other options I might be missing! Do you have personal experience with those services? Or have you found something else that worked for you with similar issues?

I'm Amy, an experienced academic writer with extensive research papers knowledge.
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I'm Amy, an experienced academic writer with extensive research papers knowledge.
Are You stuck on that research project and do not know how to commence, or are you just wholly held up on other activities outside school, that you do not have time to work on it. Do not worry. I can help you with that.
Email: [email protected]
Over the years, I have gained progressive experience in analytical research papers, Argumentative /persuasive research papers, cause and effect, and survey research papers.
I handle varying subjects, Business, Law, English Literature Review, History, Social Sciences, psychology, sociology, and Nursing
I prefer long-term work relationships with my clients. Therefore, my rates are from as low as $15 per page of APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard formatting styles.
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I just wanted to share this milestone victory to remind everyone that you can totally still have fun at a club without drinking.
I turned big 40 last Friday which was a big deal because it was my second birthday without drinking. For context and background I drank half gallons of cheap whiskey daily. Two years ago, May 18th 2021, I went dry and just white knuckled it without rehab or detox. I had to play it off at work and around people that I was just stressed or tired. On top of that my wife and I are also big into the techno, trance, and EDM Scene.
Since I quit when COVID was still going strong and clubs were closed we didn't really go out to clubs after I stopped drinking. I live in Miami and this year I knew that Miami Music Week was going to be sick! We saw that Resistance was opening a residency in South Beach and nothing was going to stop me from going! Resistance is one of the biggest club residencies in the world. They put on a huge stage at Ultra and during the Summer in Ibiza they do a weekly residency.
I'm at the point where I have no intentions of ever going back to drinking because of all of the progress I've made physically, professionally, and personally. Still, I wasn't sure how a sober night of clubbing was going to go for me. I used to pregame before going out and then at the club I would just order whatever alcohol I was in the mood for. It also gave me energy to stay out late.
Well we got to the club and immediately I parked myself right in front of the stage. First thing I noticed was that I wasn't going to the bar every 30 minutes, losing my place in front of the DJ, and then searching for my wife. The music was absolutely insane! Second thing I noticed was that I was still totally lost in my world by being blown away with the stage set up without alcohol. Third thing that I noticed was that I had MORE energy to party! I wasn't swaying back and fourth, bumping into other people, the DJ booth (yeah Paul Oakenfold was pretty pissed about that one in 2018 when played at Hyde Miami Beach), or completely sweating. I did visit the bar once to buy 2 Red Bulls, a water, and a pineapple juice. The bartender comped me the pineapple juice which he thought was pretty cool that I ordered. FYI, most bartenders I found will comp you juices from mixers for free so tip them well! Fourth thing I noticed was that it was 3AM before I knew it. I used to get bored when the alcohol was wearing off and would have to drink more in order to get that vibe back. The vibe was with me the entire night without alcohol. At 3 we finally left and made our way back home. The fifth and final thing that I noticed was that I was not a complete train wreck disaster the next morning. Wondering what I did the night before, trying to piece everything together, and dealing with my wife because I did something stupid which I didn't notice. It was a completely memorable experience without alcohol and gave me a huge boost of confidence because my biggest fear was missing out on parties and DJ sets because I gave up drinking.
The key take away I want to leave everyone with is that alcohol doesn't define fun at a party, club, or concert. It really doesn't. YOU set your own vibe, not the alcohol. If you're like me and thinking that you won't have fun or do the same social activities anymore because you're giving up alcohol that's not the case. I enjoyed the experience even more and made a memorable experience without alcohol. Oh and I saved about $200 that night as well! Lastly, there were other ravers not drinking. That's something you notice when you stop drinking is that surprisingly there are a TON of people who don't drink at clubs.
Anyways, thank you for reading and best of luck to everyone on your journey here! It's hard at first when life throws little tests of resilience at you but once you get through them in your initial stages you get rewarded beyond belief!

I'm Amy, an experienced academic writer with extensive research papers knowledge.
Are You stuck on that research project and do not know how to commence, or are you just wholly held up on other activities outside school, that you do not have time to work on it. Do not worry. I can help you with that.
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I'm Amy, an experienced academic writer with extensive research papers knowledge.
Are You stuck on that research project and do not know how to commence, or are you just wholly held up on other activities outside school, that you do not have time to work on it. Do not worry. I can help you with that.
Email: [email protected]
Over the years, I have gained progressive experience in analytical research papers, Argumentative /persuasive research papers, cause and effect, and survey research papers.
I handle varying subjects, Business, Law, English Literature Review, History, Social Sciences, psychology, sociology, and Nursing
I prefer long-term work relationships with my clients. Therefore, my rates are from as low as $15 per page of APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard formatting styles.
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My work is timely and confidential.
NB: Discounted rates on the first few orders.
Thank you for your time!

I'm Amy, an experienced academic writer with extensive research papers knowledge.
Are You stuck on that research project and do not know how to commence, or are you just wholly held up on other activities outside school, that you do not have time to work on it. Do not worry. I can help you with that.
Email: [email protected]
Over the years, I have gained progressive experience in analytical research papers, Argumentative /persuasive research papers, cause and effect, and survey research papers.
I handle varying subjects, Business, Law, English Literature Review, History, Social Sciences, psychology, sociology, and Nursing
I prefer long-term work relationships with my clients. Therefore, my rates are from as low as $15 per page of APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard formatting styles.
Quality and plagiarism-free work Guaranteed.
My work is timely and confidential.
NB: Discounted rates on the first few orders.
Thank you for your time!

I'm Amy, an experienced academic writer with extensive research papers knowledge.
Are You stuck on that research project and do not know how to commence, or are you just wholly held up on other activities outside school, that you do not have time to work on it. Do not worry. I can help you with that.
Email: [email protected]
Over the years, I have gained progressive experience in analytical research papers, Argumentative /persuasive research papers, cause and effect, and survey research papers.
I handle varying subjects, Business, Law, English Literature Review, History, Social Sciences, psychology, sociology, and Nursing
I prefer long-term work relationships with my clients. Therefore, my rates are from as low as $15 per page of APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard formatting styles.
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Thank you for your time!

I hope this is the right place and right way to ask for this! I've lurked but actually posting is totally new to me.
I'm a 21 year old autistic woman from Finland and I have major trouble leaving the house on my own. My biggest issue is anxiety, I'm so afraid of having a breakdown that I dont even want to try. For the record I've experienced panic attacks, anxiety attacks, sensory overloads and severe stomach issues while out there, so my fears aren't exactly unfounded. I've tried my best to power through the fears and work through that anxiety with my therapist, support people, and my mom's help. However although there are days I'm successful, it's not a progression as much as a rare good day. I've come to the conclusion that I'm not going to have the freedom I want unless I embrace my need for further assistance and tools.
Which leads me to the topic of this sub! I'm wondering if a service dog could help me, or if they'd be more troublesome.

1. What kind of tasks could one be trained for? Could a service dog recognize when I should drop everything and head to the bathroom before I myself know? Would one sit with me while I suffer with that and/or a panic attack?
2. If I already struggle going out even with the company of my mother (who makes me the least nervous,) could a dog really help? On one hand a dog would be more often available than her, so I wouldn't have to only go out on weekends (more chances to go out on a good day!), but on the other hand the dog cant drive. (Bus systems are amazing in my city, but I get nervous without a solid escape plan.)
3. I have a pet cat. Any experiences with that combo?

Thank you! I'm mostly looking for personal thoughts, but I'm all for official resources as well.

Donate to his veterans support charity No Duff if you can, it will go to his daughtewhanau, to return his body and continue his enduring kaupapa, which will help other whanau in this conflict and others.

No Duff Charitable Trust Givealittle page:

https://givealittle.co.nz/org/noduff

​

Kane Te Tai remembered as man of honour committed to aiding Ukraine

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/486507/kane-te-tai-remembered-as-man-of-honour-committed-to-aiding-ukraine

Whānau and friends of slain soldier Kane Te Tai say he will return home as a warrior in life and death, and be remembered as a man who always fought for what was right.
RNZ understands the body of the slain New Zealand soldier has officially been identified as Te Tai and is now being transferred to Kyiv.
He is understood to have been killed while clearing a trench in the Vulhedar area of Ukraine.
Sources have told RNZ he had moved deeper into the trench, away from his team, when he was killed by Russian soldiers.
His team were forced to leave his body there, before Ukrainian marines went in and recovered him overnight.
Veteran support and advocacy group No Duff is now working to ensure a New Zealander can be available to escort his body through the country to the Polish border, before travelling with him for his final journey home.
Comrades and friends have said they believed it was important a Kiwi was always with him, but the process would not be simple.
Te Tai co-founded No Duff with Aaron Wood, who told Midday Report his mother had asked them to manage the journey home.
"We're pulling all the pieces together. A number of volunteers and interested people from New Zealand, all the way through to Ukraine and in between, are coming together to make this happen."
It was highly likely they would be able to bring him home, Wood said, but there were numerous jurisdiction challenges ahead.
Deeply respected during time in Ukraine
Te Tai joined the Defence Force after leaving high school and went on multiple deployments while serving in the 2/1 Royal Battalion.
He left the Army in 2010 and travelled to Ukraine in April last year, operating under the call sign 'Turtle'.
Te Tai was a prominent character in the warzone and was widely followed on social media.
His colleagues described him as well-known and deeply respected for his professionalism, skill, leadership and relentless sense of humour.
They said he never underestimated the importance of his job, or the lives he held in his hands.
His death marks the third New Zealander to be killed in the combat - after the deaths of his best friend Dominic Abelen and humanitarian Andrew Bagshaw.
Te Tai had become the unofficial expert for New Zealanders in Ukraine, often acting as the point of contact for Kiwis wanting to travel to the warzone. He would ensure people knew what they were signing up for, a way to get into the country and a unit to go to.
He admitted in an interview with RNZ his initial motivations for going there were selfish, but that changed quickly on arrival.
The soldier became an infamous figure in the war, often featuring on Russian propaganda sites - seen by RNZ - particularly the Wagner group, who put a NZ$11 million price tag on his head.
In a conversation with friends he joked about ratting himself out for the money, illustrating his sense of humour.
Te Tai always said to his friends he was not afraid to die, but he also was not afraid to live.
During nearly a full year in Ukraine, he garnered respect from people in all walks of life. He volunteered with Ukrainian families, taught civilians how to fight and eventually found a spot at the frontline as one of the team's leaders.
Te Tai said he was fiercely protective of his team and did anything to make sure they were safe.
During one mission in August 2022, his best friend, Abelen, was killed in trench warfare. In an interview after the mission, Te Tai said the team were unable to get his body back and it ended up in Russian hands, but that did not stop him from trying.
He told RNZ they only stopped because Abelen would not have wanted them killed in the process.
Just last week Te Tai posted on social media, revealing that while clearing a Russian position he had found a "long lost friend" who had wanted to visit New Zealand.
Te Tai had thought his friend was dead and was amazed to find him alive, describing it as a "Hollywood moment".
He said at first he did not recognise the man, who had been shot four times and was skinny.
"He'd been starved by Russians for two months and drinking anti-freeze because the Russians wanted a laugh."
The man did not want to be left with the Ukrainians, but Te Tai had to keep fighting. He promised he would return and walk him personally to hospital.
That was exactly what he did, he said.
'The people grow on you'
In that August interview with RNZ, Te Tai said he had fallen in love with the country and its people, and was deeply respectful of their resolve.
"I was sort of getting a bit bored of being at home... and coming into this conflict was just one of those things that selfishly I thought I could be close to the war without getting too entangled.
"But then that sort of changes... I've met so many people, I've been everywhere in this country and the place grows on you, the people grow on you, and their strength, and that's why I'm still here."
Te Tai said he was prepared to leave everything in Ukraine, but in the weeks before his death he had made moves to return home.
His mother said he always kept her up to date, ending the calls with "I love you Mum", but more recently it was like "I'll see you soon".
In a Facebook message to another friend he said he loved Ukraine, but it was time to start living a real life - "gotta put the toys away and start to build while I can", he said.
"That's enough war for me, I love this place, it's like a playground where I can do anything I want.
"But that's the problem isn't it? So before the game gets me or before I decide that life here is too easy, maybe it's time to start living my real life.
"This place is pure escapism, we are all trying to run from something, mine is from having a real life, but the time is near."
Passionate about the cause
Te Tai is being remembered by his friends and comrades as a man of honour who was passionate about his cause, always doing everything he could to protect people.
Longtime friend Aaron Wood described Te Tai as a beautiful man, who he loved to bits.
"He just wanted people to live their best lives and he wanted to help as many people as he could.
"That sounds like a cliché, but with him it's a truism. That's his whole life... Just serving people, that's what he did, that's what his message was."
That was what he died doing, Wood said.
His mum, Ngaire Te Tai, said there was never any talking him out of it.
"He never did anything by halves, my son. We tried to stop him, but he had his mind made up, that's just Kane.
"When you were around him, you just felt safe."
A gift she said she knew he spread much further than just Ukraine.
Ngaire Te Tai's final comment about her eldest boy was: "Don't let my son's death be in vain."
He leaves behind a 12-year-old daughter.

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t find anything glorious about killing young mobilised Russian boys who are crying in their trenches”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/300777917/the-shelling-is-so-close-it-makes-you-puke-says-kiwi-fighting-in-ukraine

The shelling is so close it makes you puke, says Kiwi fighting in Ukraine

A Kiwi soldier fighting under Ukraine’s military intelligence says he’s prepared to die.
Kane Te Tai, code name Turtle, is fighting in a secretive reconnaissance unit on Ukraine’s front line in the eastern Donetsk region.
After deaths, injuries and resignations, Te Tai now leads the Foreign Reconnaissance Team after only joining in July.
A December article in The New Yorker magazine revealed the existence of the unit and featured Turtle.
It’s the same unit that 28-year-old Kiwi Dominic Abelen was fighting in when he was killed in August, and the two were like brothers.
Te Tai’s unit has set up a PayPal to fundraise for vehicles it needs to move around its area of operation, near the town of Pavlivka.
As Te Tai was interviewed, he had to be careful his phone wasn’t too bright, so as to not give his unit away to any Russian drones flying overhead.
“We live on the line, we just occupy whatever place we can find at the time. If it gets too hot we just find somewhere else,” he told Stuff.
His unit’s job is primarily reconnaissance, a small mobile force that could reach into Russian land or no-man’s land between the trenches, and destroy a tank or hold a position, before the Ukrainian army moved in.
“Find it, locate it, observe it, report it, attack it.”
Good 4x4 vehicles are a necessity.
Donetsk is known for farming and coal production, and Te Tai described the land as similar to the Canterbury plains.
Soldiers try and use the tree lines separating the fields for cover, and trench systems are built through them.
During the winter, the roads and fields are muddy, pocked by craters from Russian artillery barrages.
The Foreign Reconnaissance Team can get the necessities of war – food, bombs, clothing, bullets - just fine.
Reliable working vehicles and parts, and enough for an emergency stockpile, are harder to come by.
The Foreign Reconnaissance Team is reliant on vehicles driven into Ukraine from throughout Europe by volunteers and paying for them with donated money.
“You can use that vehicle until it is blown up or you crash it, unfortunately both those things happen all the time,” Te Tai said.
“The last three vehicles we’ve had, in the last month, they’ve been hit with artillery. Holes in the front, s... just smashed through.”
Unlike the famous International Legion Battalion, which tens of thousands of foreigners have joined since the start of the war, the Foreign Reconnaissance Team is for some of the highly-trained foreign few.
Te Tai served a tour in Afghanistan for the New Zealand Defence Force and thinks of himself as having spent his whole life training to fight.
His team is given autonomy, building trust with local Ukrainian commanders to find out what they want and then formulating missions.
Te Tai was able to talk about one operation the Foreign Reconnaissance Team conducted during a December battle in Pavlivka, first described in the New Yorker article.
Te Tai and a small team of a half-dozen were set to cross a bridge at night and enter a tree line which ran into the centre of the town.
The mission was to see how close they could get to the Russian positions before they were fired on.
“The moment that we got onto the bridge, everything just opened up, rockets, missiles everything. We ran across this bridge and were just trying to scramble to the safest nearest spot.”
Te Tai’s team managed to get into the tree line and into a trench – all in the dark – but the Russians began to shell progressively towards them down the tree line.
“I remember just looking at everyone in the pit and we all had this look on our faces like, ‘well, the party had to end some time’. We had this feeling of acceptance.”
But, just as the next shell was set to kill the team, it flew off somewhere else and the Russians then began to bomb regressively back along the tree line.
“By divine intervention we missed getting smashed... We all knew we were supposed to die that night.”
Before joining Foreign Reconnaissance, Te Tai was working for a church training Ukrainians in basic military skills.
He was open with people back in New Zealand about what he was experiencing, including old army colleagues.
Te Tai described an environment where Kiwis in Ukraine often stayed in touch and worked together, including Dominic Abelen who contacted Te Tai before making the trip.
When Abelen said that he was set to join the International Legion Battalion, Te Tai told Abelen he was hearing bad stories.
“You go there as a foreigner, you get given a weapon, some ammunition, and sit inside a trench and you fight or die, that’s how it’s portrayed.
“People would tell us: 'Thank you for training my son, he didn’t make it back, but I felt he was better off than he was before’,” he said.
Abelen, now with the nickname Tolkien, made his way into the Ukrainian army, but managed to get taken into Ukrainian military intelligence.
Talking to Abelen about what he was doing, Te Tai had had enough of training soldiers and the 37-year-old felt like he was running out of time to fight.
“I told him [Abelen], ‘I’ll jump in with you too’.
“And he [Abelen] was like ‘thank God, cool man’,” said Te Tai.
He ended the volunteer work and a recruiter told Te Tai to get to Lviv where he entered a secretive military intelligence training camp.
Recruits weren’t allowed to use their phones and were closely evaluated for a two-week period.
“Pretty much from the second they take you into the camp, they don’t tell you what’s going on.
“They operate it like a psychological test, to see if you can be just told what to do and not know any other parameters,” he said.
Access to weapons was heavily restricted and there was heavy scrutiny as Ukrainian officials went through candidates’ records and social media, trying to weed out spies and the weak.
“When you talk to someone, it’s always a cover story, you’re never talking to who you think you’re talking to,” Te Tai said.
Then, one morning in July, officials gave Te Tai a contract and drove him to the Foreign Reconnaissance Team in Donetsk.
“As soon as we pulled up... Dom had no shirt on... he said, ‘let’s do some work’.”
“I was like ‘my man!’.”
Abelen had put in a good word for him with Ukrainian intelligence, Te Tai said.
He gave Te Tai the code name of Turtle, after he had originally named himself Talon. Talon was too cool, Abelen said.
Te Tai described new troops arriving for the unit as a big event, a celebration of strengthening the group after the fighting took its toll.
“There’s a high attrition rate either by death, injury, or guys wanting to leave.”
The Foreign Reconnaissance Team currently operates out of a house, planning their missions on a whiteboard.
“We’re normally strapped for time. If we’re not out working we are resting, or we are giving instructions.”
Te Tai said there aren’t ranks in the unit, so while he is the team’s leader, he sits on the same step as the other foreigners in the unit.
He eats Ukrainian food: soups like borscht, and two-minute noodles and toast.
At night Te Tai watches Netflix and YouTube fail compilations to decompress. Sometimes, he hears the Russians shelling, keeping him awake.
When you’re fired on by artillery, you can hear the lifespan of the shell, he said.
He described how shells left the Russian gun with a distant duh-boom, screeching through the air, before exploding somewhere on the Ukrainian side of the line.
Some shells landed far away, but some hit so close to soldiers that the concussion made them puke and made them feel sick for the next day, he said.
“That shit happens like every week.”
About six weeks after Te Tai joined the unit, Abelen was killed during a mission.
“It pissed me off more than anything, it just consolidated for me that I’m not leaving any time soon.”
Te Tai said Abelen didn’t have a death wish, but he was a soldier and fighting was what he had trained for his whole life.
“I could have told him, ‘you are going to die today’ and he would have been like ‘it’s a good day to die’, that’s just who he was.”
Killing didn’t weigh on Te Tai’s mind, he said. He described it as part of the job, and said his views hadn’t changed since Abelen’s death.
“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t find anything glorious about killing young mobilised Russian boys who are crying in their trenches,” he said.
“I’m willing to die, for sure, but I don’t want to die.”
Te Tai has no plans to leave and wants to attend a victory day parade in Kyiv.
“I know we’re going to win, I know that for sure,” he said.
“I’m staying here until I can’t take it any more, or I am dead.”