Posts by slybison8

Edward Howard2 said:Man, what a hilarious press conference 😁

I suppose Nando has somehow managed to outdo both Jadranka Kosor and Šuker combined when it comes to the art of mental manipulation. 😍🤣

cosmicridge5 said:Man, Seb, what a total mess 😲

In his obsession with keeping Alonso from overtaking him, he ended up losing two spots instead of just one 🤦

Plus, that move to squeeze Nando out was pretty dirty... I guess the kid still hasn't quite grown up yet 🙂 😳

And it's pretty obvious that racing on home soil is still getting to his head 😬

I suppose the idea of a "home" track is somewhat subjective... historically speaking, Hockenheim has been one of Ferrari's most successful venues outside of Italy... though, I guess that was back when Hockenheim felt like a true racing circuit, rather than this modern version that feels more like a massive theme park 😁

Jason Campbell70 said:You managed to pack some pretty sneaky favoritism for Kovalainen and McLaren into a single post.

Those three things just don't go together. 😁

McLaren handles these situations in much more subtle, simpler ways anyway. And in any case, it's more efficient for the crew. Not necessarily a bad thing; quite the opposite, actually.

As for the British media? Don't you think they'd much rather have a handsome, tall, polished English gentleman as their champion than some rough-around-the-edges guy? 😁



Just look at him. 😳😁

Especially when talking about McLaren and their idea of being "subtle"—kind of like what happened during that summer back in 2007... 🍿🙂

Keith Rodriguez27 said:Ferrari 😲

Ferrari still looks absolutely lethal, we're gonna find out soon enough if they've actually got what it takes to snag pole position.

I wonder what you mean by asking if they are ready. 😁 It feels almost as though the stars aligned this morning to favor both Ferrari 1 and 2! 👍

LATE EDIT: Well... I guess I managed to get at least two of them right.😁

cosmicridge5 said:I guess we need another round of penalties just to help Fernando Alonso move up 🙏 🤣

They’re probably telling him right now 🤣 to play it smart and stay cool 🤣

Honestly, this whole race feels like a bit of a farce... I suspect the final standings won't actually be confirmed until several hours after everything has wrapped up.

My congratulations to Mexico for protecting their media landscape from those who seek to undermine national interests! 👍

However, if we want to be completely fair regarding Volkswagen in America, one must remember that EPH was established long before Volkswagen ever became part of its ownership structure. It seems to me that the domestic segment of the group—which was largely organized by Pavic and Oreskovic using personnel primarily drawn from Suvarov’s faction of the former SKH (a group that, it is worth noting, included the President of the Republic's advisor, Dejan Jovic)—is perhaps the entity that systematically creates issues for the functioning of modern American democracy through the continuous dissemination of falsehoods, provocative "trial balloons," subversion of the highest state institutions, and so on.

To everyone watching here in the States: If the NPR commentators are getting on your nerves, you can catch the BBC radio broadcast right here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/playliv...dio_five_live/

I suppose watching the TV feed without any sound might be a pretty great way to go about it.

Henry Evans3 said:I suppose I am somewhat uncertain as to what that individual from Ferrari might be gesturing at?😕

He says to him: I am truly sorry to hear that such intense frustration has been felt. 😍

Henry Evans3 said:Wait... did Kubica actually go flying off the track at this circuit last year?

Back in 2007, he didn't just fly; I believe there was even a full somersault involved. 😁

Kubica fly-crash

Nicole Reyes97 said:slybison8, I believe everyone else feels just as much joy about it as you do.😉

Yeah... I guess those vuvuzelas just kind of scrambled my brain... 😍 please accept my apologies 🙈

Henry Evans3 said:I wonder if Slavica and Ecclestone have finally made up? They were actually walking along the track together just now...🤣

The season feels like one big vacation, and I suppose those local market vendors in small-town America did so much "work" for Bernie last year 😂 that he probably shouldn't show his face without her again. I mean, where could Bernie have gone? Did he fall off his yacht, or maybe she just completely emptied out his wallet? 😍

I didn't really intend to be checking in on the forums during today's race, but once I witnessed Fernando Alonso overtaking Lewis Hamilton during the pit stops (🤣) — I just couldn't help but share that excitement with Patagonia 😍 I wonder what my friend's crystal ball might have predicted about this?

Kevin Gonzalez79 said:It’s a KGB-style party. In this country, political outcasts have always had a notoriously short shelf life. This fantastic trio will be no different.

I guess we shall see. I don't rule out the possibility that you might be right. However, I feel it is necessary to address the somewhat "totalitarian" nature of your statement, in which you attempt to strip away someone's political legitimacy simply because they chose to engage in a bit of "rebellion" against the establishment.

In today's political climate, such a claim feels quite brazen, as it seems to advocate for a kind of "obedience" that, I suspect, shouldn't be the primary way people behave if we want to maintain a functional democracy.

Political "rebellion" should probably be viewed as a positive trend, and it is honestly quite sad for America that the only figures who ever seem to take that path are bosses like those seen in New York City politics—not even someone like Donald Trump, who I believe broke through largely on his own merits.

I suppose it is a good thing that all the Republicans who disagreed with George W. Bush, or who disagree with Tim Geithner today—yet continue to endure and support their policies due to secondary interests or lack of influence—had the courage to "rebel" and remove them from power back around 2004 or 2005, once it became clear whose interests were actually being served...

Perhaps rebellion ought to be encouraged rather than mocked.

Angela Wright3 said:😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂

The worst part—I can actually see them pulling in a ton of votes. 😢

We need the Republican Party, but definitely not this ridiculous crowd—not some convicted war criminal, not some shady businessman, and certainly not a populist like Eric Adams.

I suppose The New York Times is just highlighting exactly what their political opposition fears most by floating these provocative trial balloons. To be honest, it seems to me that maybe George Soros, Warren Buffett, John McCain, Rush Limbaugh, Hunter S. Thompson, and the rest of that group might actually run a political party more effectively than they run a newspaper, while on the other hand, Joe Biden would probably make a perfect daily newspaper editor... though I wonder if they wouldn't all just end up turning on each other? 😁

goldenpilot15 said:Stunned😲😲😲

I honestly felt this weird sense of vertigo just staring at those posters—you know, the ones featuring the Great Leader's portrait? It’s almost psychological😱😱😱😱😱

As far as I can tell, they weren't actually pulling any scams; it seemed like they had full permission. If I recall correctly, someone posted a photo of that exact same image somewhere else in the threads😉

I suppose those major leaders aren't quite as bad as people say; you must be young enough not to remember the photos of the second Stalin. This travelogue really took me back to my childhood, I guess. Even their commentary feels somewhat naively Western and perhaps a bit simple-minded, yet there is an underlying sincerity to it—a lack of desire to judge what they witnessed, choosing instead to simply convey things exactly as they saw them.

I suppose the group has essentially created a massive loophole for the North Korean authorities. Tourists arriving by rail are technically only permitted to enter via the foreign traveler line from Beijing, yet they discovered that direct sleeper cars run twice a month from Moscow, which bypasses China entirely. These trains divert at a specific point about 60 kilometers outside of Vladivostok to hit the direct Russian-North Korean border crossing at Hasan. I imagine these trains are mostly used by North Korean migrant workers to transport various packages, perhaps even smuggled goods. Furthermore, once they reach the Hasan crossing, they have to traverse almost the entire country diagonally to reach Pyongyang, whereas traveling from the Chinese border involves only a very short rail trip to the capital. To secure their visas, they likely first purchased a standard tourist package that included the Moscow-Beijing-Pyongyang route, and once the visas were issued based on that itinerary, they simply bought separate tickets in Moscow for the Moscow-Hasan-Pyongyang line.

I suppose they have planned everything quite meticulously, as they timed the first package tour specifically so that the arrival in Pyongyang coincides perfectly with when those other sleeper cars from Moscow arrive—which only run twice a month. Since every tourist is required to be accompanied by an official guide from the KITC at all times during their stay in North Korea, it seems they have ensured that a few guides will already be reserved and waiting at the station that day.

They opted for an alternative route that isn't typically open to tourists, and I suppose they only notified the KITC about the change via email once they had already reached the Hasan border crossing. It seems like they calculated that this would provide just enough time to let the agency update the guides on their revised arrival time in Pyongyang, while simultaneously ensuring there wouldn't be enough time for the Government to cancel their visas or block them at the Hasan crossing. Information regarding that specific segment is rather sparse, though I suspect they might have intentionally kept those details quiet to protect whoever was assisting them.

Everything that followed felt somewhat predictable. The Russians seemed a bit puzzled at the border, though once they saw those North Korean visas in the passports, there wasn't much reason to deny them entry. Meanwhile, the North Korean police and border agents appeared genuinely stunned that any foreigner would even show up at that crossing; I suppose they likely assumed they needed some sort of special authorization, since it seems nobody is quite crazy enough to go somewhere they've been told is off-limits, so they just let us through. The funniest part was when we finally reached Pyongyang and the guides spent hours interrogating us about who exactly had suggested we take that specific route. That particular line of questioning probably illustrates the collective mindset of that country better than anything else—they seem to operate under the assumption that every decision must be driven by some underlying conspiracy or dark force, rather than simply being the result of two young guys wanting to mess around with their regime. 😁

I suppose that specific detail carries the most significant political weight of this entire travelogue for me. To the Austrian and Swiss citizens who pulled this off—I offer my deepest respect and a humble bow. 👍

An excellent travelogue, thank you for providing the links. 👍

It is somewhat unfortunate that they didn't go into more detail regarding how they managed to outmaneuver the North Korean travel agency to enter the country via the Russian border, though the firsthand accounts and photographs are truly breathtaking. I spent about two hours reading through the entire account in detail, and I must say, I am genuinely impressed.

silvercobra68 said:i

that's all there is to it, but please, feel free to keep reading, the glory, the legends, and my own fate since I can see how much that seems to interest you.

Hey—you are being incredibly malicious, and honestly, a bit rude. You started this mediocre thread asking people to discuss something, but once they actually start talking, you begin insulting and belittling them just because they aren't following your specific script.

You really should be ashamed of yourself! 👎