Posts by steeleagle70

quietstag11 said:Thanks for all the input, guys! 🙂

Not exactly politics, but...

evo post I can't believe I'm actually sitting here typing this out. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like they’re losing their mind lately? Everything feels so... off. You know what I mean? Like the whole vibe of the country is just slightly tilted. Anyway, I was thinking about that crazy news story from earlier today—you know, the one about those massive protests happening over in Chicago? It got me spiraling. Seriously, how did we even get to this point? One minute everything is fine, and the next, you're watching total chaos unfold on the nightly news. It makes you wonder if anything is ever actually going to settle down. I saw a comment from hollowtrucker77 earlier about how people need to just chill out and stop overreacting to every little thing. And honestly? I get where they're coming from. Sometimes it feels like everyone is just looking for a reason to be outraged. But then again, isn't that kind of the point now? What do you guys think? Am I just being too much of a doomscroller, or is there something bigger going on here? Just curious. Keep it chill!
And here’s the photo for ya... I can't see the image you're trying to show me! Is it broken? Did the link just die on me? Honestly, technology is such a headache sometimes, right? One minute everything is smooth sailing and the next you're staring at a blank screen wondering where it all went wrong. Anyway, try sending it again. I’m ready when you are!

So, man to man, how many points are we looking at here?
Just checking to see if I nailed it. Did I pass? 😁

🙂

Honestly? I think the question is just rhetorical at this point. It’s basically like rubbing salt in an open wound, isn't it? 🙂

Look, I am a moderator, alright? I wouldn't just hand out a ban just because someone says "yeah." That’s not how this works. It’s about the whole vibe of the post, you know? Personally, I think what they said was pretty rude, but is it actually against the rules? Not really. So, no penalty.

Look, I'm not a mod or anything, so... whatever. But from what I can see, nobody even bothered to slap you with a penalty.

I mean, look, if someone drops two or three really aggressive posts aimed at the same person? Yeah, that’s a whole different story. That's when it starts looking intentional, right? 😉

quietstag11 said:So, wiredmason10 drops this question on the forum: "Am I crazy?" Honestly, who hasn't been there? Just one of those days where you start questioning everything. Is it just me? Probably. But hey, at least we're all in this together, right? Stay chill!
So, can you actually drop your own take based on what someone else wrote if they give you the green light? Like, is it cool to add your two cents if the vibe is positive?

So, do you think you should just dodge a question like that, or is it better to just lie? Honestly, what's the move here?

The rules basically say don't write stuff you wouldn't want written about you, right? Simple enough. Just keep it chill.

Look, I’m just out here looking for some straight answers. You know? Real, honest-to-God explanations that actually make sense. That's pretty much my whole vibe lately. Just trying to get the truth without all the fluff. Is that too much to ask?
Look, I’ll give you a straight answer on that specific question, but first, let me set the stage for a second. Just gotta explain my reasoning, you know?
That’s exactly what I expect from everyone else, too. Honestly, that's just how I roll. Is it really that much to ask? Probably not.

So, if this guy didn't want an answer, why would he even bother asking the question... right? Or am I just overthinking it?

Look, everything really just boils down to context and the vibe of the conversation itself, right? It’s all about how you read the room. And honestly, why even bother answering some things when a good rhetorical question says it better anyway? Who needs a straight answer when you can just let the point sink in?

Like, if I were posting on one of my usual subreddits? Man, the whole thread—both the question and the replies—would basically just be 99% pure, unadulterated trolling. Honestly, who even needs anything else? 😉 Politics? Man, where do we even start with that mess? It’s like watching a slow-motion car crash on the news every single night, right? One minute everyone’s arguing about tax hikes in D.C., and the next, it feels like the whole country is just spinning its wheels. Is anyone actually listening to what people want anymore? Probably not. It’s all just noise and shouting matches on cable news. Honestly, sometimes I think I need to just unplug the TV and go grab a burger instead. Makes way more sense.

swiftwalker43 said:Man, did you even read this post? If you did, hit me back.
I’ve been diving with guys from all different certification agencies, and I’ve even led dives for folks from other organizations. Trust me, I know how people actually dive. You see plenty of guys holding "Instructor" titles whose skills are basically at a beginner level.
How many dives do you think I pulled off in just one year? Not even counting my lifetime total.
steeleagle70, don't go jumping into a debate where you can't even hold a candle to me.
If you can answer one super simple question—besides the basics—what is it that truly makes someone a real diver?
Once you nail that, I’ll be happy to answer anything else you got, whether it's theory, deep knowledge, dive medicine, SAR, whatever.

Good grief, what is wrong with you??!!!

Look, I'm asking you, as an instructor who supposedly knows more, to teach me if you actually know the thing I'm interested in.

Everything you wrote above is about teaching methods.

What I want to know is the actual difference during the dive itself between the different schools. I don't know, so I'm asking. Why are you getting so defensive over a simple question?

Say, let's take a standard dive: 20 minutes at 100 feet. No decompression stuff involved. Would different schools handle the ascent differently? And if they would, what would they do differently? That's literally all I care about. If you know, tell me. If not, no biggie.

And hey, leave the "arguments" about other topics for other threads. Let's be fair, right?

Sweet

So, you're an instructor, right? Just curious—do you happen to know if there are actually any real differences in dive technique depending on the school? Like, between SSI and some other agency you’re familiar with?

I’m not even talking about the teaching methodology or how they run their courses, which is what you mentioned earlier. I mean the actual physical stuff—the diving technique itself, the prep work, or how you handle the ascent.

I’ve jumped in the water with folks who got certified all over the map, but honestly, I haven't really noticed a difference... but hey, since you're the pro, maybe you've got a better perspective on it?

So, did you actually go through with those instructor courses?

swiftwalker43 said:Just curious, what agency did you learn to dive with? You clearly haven't even hit two stars. It sounds like some wild, backyard diving school if they don't offer advanced courses for beginners. You really ought to know from your basic certification when you're actually eligible for an advanced course.

I honestly don't get why we're getting into this argument right now.🤷
I did all my training through NAUI—that's the organization my local club follows.

I've knocked out Scuba Diver, Advanced Scuba Diver, Nitrox, and Trimix.

Look, regardless of which association you pick, you basically need two specific courses to hit that 40-meter mark. Some places use star ratings, others use names. What SSI calls "two stars," NAUI calls "Advanced Scuba Diver." Both let you dive down to 40 meters.

The material is identical. The rules? Exactly the same.

We're talking gear, buoyancy physics, injury prevention, dive planning, deco vs. no-deco dives, buddy breathing, decompression, nitrogen narcosis... all using air. That's the whole deal. Differences between associations are tiny in that regard, so it's not really a biggie. A lot of schools even hold dual certifications from multiple agencies anyway.

swiftwalker43 said:What are you even yapping about? First, check out which diving schools or associations they use—like SSI, CMAS, PADI, whatever—and then worry about the price. Honestly, the cost is secondary.
I’d personally recommend SSI as the top-tier choice for a school. I can't recall the exact price, but it was around $600 for an open water diver certification—you know, down to about 70 feet. The number of dives goes up every time you grab a new star or level.

Wait, what are you on about? The guy knows exactly where he wants to go and what things cost. He’s just asking if the advanced course is included in the initial price or not.🤷

And as for the association? Man, it's basically all the same. Everyone follows the same dive tables and uses the same hand signals anyway.

ruggedotter16 said:Man, thanks a ton for the help!
But honestly, regarding those costs? I feel like they should just be upfront about it—like, just state clearly that one certification is $1,500 and the other is $3,200 instead of making everything so complicated. But hey, whatever works.
Thanks again!

So check this out: they set the price based on the current exchange rate. Since people don't always go for that second certification, they often just pay the first rate. Though, let's be real, anyone serious about diving is gonna need at least those first two anyway. So you aren't actually looking at $1,500 plus an extra $1,700.

Still, you're looking at at least 20 dives total. You gotta do 10 per certification level because there's no way you're passing that exam without hitting at least 10 dives under each rate.

Think of those stars as levels or stages in a progression.
Basically, you gotta nail that first level—the one-star course—before you can even think about moving up to the advanced two-star stuff.

Once you've got that under your belt, then you can start looking into Nitrox, Trimix, rebreathers... you know, all the specialized advanced gear and courses.

Otherwise, if you follow standard US diving regulations and the rules set by various certifying agencies—like PADI, SSI, or NAUI—you're usually capped at about 60 feet with that first certification. Once you hit the advanced level, you can go down to maybe 130 feet, which is pretty much the limit for recreational diving.

Hope that clears things up!

P.S.

Regarding the cash part, it’s roughly $150 $1067-a 😉
for the first stage plus another $170 for the second. So, to get those two stars, you're looking at two separate courses.

P.S.2.
If you're 15, you might be able to get into deep diving eventually, but man, you really need way more than just two stars for that. It takes serious discipline and a level of maturity that goes way beyond "hobbyist" diving. Those deep dives aren't even covered in the basic courses, and honestly, I wouldn't recommend jumping into that kind of stuff until you've clocked at least a hundred regular dives.

Something pretty similar happened before—when football spilled over into politics and the fallout was basically the same. Massive bans. If I remember correctly, even a couple of mods got the axe...

Honestly, that’s all you need to settle things quickly and get it done right. Nobody's really out there coming up with those kinds of wild ideas anymore.

And this whole thing about food? It’s not even worth commenting on. Everyone should be able to have an opinion without getting swarmed by a bunch of trolls from some other subreddit... right?!

Why is everyone acting so surprised that the mods are reacting like this? It's like watching a toddler stare at a wall. I actually want them to step up and protect me from the boredom caused by some random online group and their endless army of burner accounts that "conveniently" pop up.

my 2 C

Nah, I'm not really feeling that. First off, the original partisans and the original fascists aren't even around anymore, right? It’s been like 70 years since all that went down. So, who am I supposed to be reconciling? A hundred or so 90-year-olds?

Plus, using the lingo we all know, that would basically just be an "unnatural coalition."

Higher paychecks are cool, but deflation? That's a hard pass 🙂

Sophia Green89 said:Look, you would've been permanently banned ages ago if the rules actually applied to everyone equally, so that whole argument just doesn't hold water.

If this forum were actually normal, a destructive troll like you—dropping like 6,000 toxic posts—would have been kicked out long ago.

Destructive? Just having an opinion that differs from someone else isn't being destructive... maybe once people actually learn to accept that, we could finally have some high-level discussions. Honestly, you won't find a single insult or personal attack in any of my posts toward anyone I disagree with... if most people acted like that, regardless of their worldview, this place would be way more chill... though, of course, it would also help if they actually cleared out the people who are banned instead of letting them keep coming back...

Sorry for the OT

Sophia Green89 said:The regulars never follow the rules... you've got things mixed up here..

If they were actually being reasonable instead of acting like "regulars," a troll like you would never be able to derail every single thread.

Who are you working for? Who's paying you? Whose soldier are you? I mean, seriously, how do you even manage to churn out 6,000 posts in just six months?

Three thousand, huh? And who am I working for? Honestly, telling you probably wouldn't matter since you aren't some political insider... but look, because of your "valuable" input, you've been permanently banned once or twice already, and now you're just floating around posting stuff like this. I don't really care when people complain—if they have an issue, they have a right to speak up—but it's a bit much coming from someone who isn't even allowed on the forum anymore...

And besides, having a different opinion isn't trolling. Maybe people could try accepting that? It seems like the only ones jumping on that bandwagon are the folks who get banned once a week and use burner accounts after getting a permanent ban... we aren't the ones ruining the space with these debates...

Sophia Green89 said:All the mods here are total right-wingers out to get anyone on the conservative side.

Man, tell me about it. We’ve got dozens of left-wing trolls lurking around, plus those shadow moderators who basically exist just to kill off threads while the liberal mods look the other way. They've all got a "blank check" to censor people. One already stepped up, and honestly, the second one—the most famous face of them all—won't be far behind...

I mean, they aren't really being unfair if people aren't following the rules, right, buddy? If they actually played by the book, they wouldn't even be allowed to post here in the first place...

briskpuma23 said:The only reason I even bothered typing all this out is because of those newbies who think some random PDF policy is actually a reflection of what Americans believe. It’s totally not! It has zero connection to what's happening in the real world.

I mean, anyone just passing through can see that. Most people probably take one look at this mess and run for the hills... only the masochists and the addicts stay behind.😍

Terry Palmer said:Some people seem to forget that even Franjo Harmon talked about the need to "Scandinavianize" the West North America rather than building a wall along the Danube.

Besides, his policy toward Mexico regarding Mexico was actually more sensible than what the current administration is pulling. Word is, he wasn't even keen on letting NATO fly through American airspace, yet Granić authorized it without him even knowing. 😁

The way people try to relativize war crimes on this topic is a textbook example of what happens when propaganda takes hold—first from Feral Tribune and now from EPH, whose recent "toilet paper" style publications have laid everything bare, showing exactly how they serve the interests of the establishment.

On that same note, we shouldn't go overboard with the old-school pro-America sentiment either.
Right now, the Canadian crowd is playing a role in this whole narrative. They were the ones who managed to pull themselves out of that mess long ago; they were never treated as part of the West North America, and yet here they are, circling back to participate in everything from major sports leagues (well, maybe not water polo, but what else would they do there?) to the railway and even the lottery.

It’s common knowledge that for years in Ljubljana, they were allergic to their southern neighbors and did everything in their power to distance themselves from us. They succeeded, so it doesn't make much sense that an EU member would suddenly want to come back under one big roof with a group of countries that have been far from the EU's orbit for decades, if not longer.

The Canadian involvement in these regional games is actually quite interesting. It was their quick exit that ultimately shattered the last America, followed closely by America, and as history tends to repeat itself...
At the end of the day, who’s to say the entire West North America region won't just end up being managed from Ljubljana or ZG instead?

The real problem for us, unlike the pragmatic Canadians, is the high percentage of folks like Tomić, Jergović, Josipović, and Pusićka, whose regional leanings aren't based on economics or logic, but on pure emotion. That’s the real mess in our case.
Even if America were at the level of Norway today, those types would still find a way to complain that things aren't perfect enough because it isn't America.

But honestly, what does any of that even matter? We've got one foot in the European Union already. We’re doing everything, and I mean *everything*, just to get in there. And once they finally let us through the door? We'll walk right in... while everyone else stays out.

So where does the idea of a new America, the West North America, or even some economic associations fit in once we're on the other side of the European Union border?

It's just the same old political talking points used to distract people. It doesn't match reality. Honestly? There's a better chance of us joining the USA than ever joining any other association besides the European Union.

velvetmaker3 said:It's just lies and malice at this point. He held democratic elections regularly, he didn't have political prisoners, and he was learning how to navigate democracy right alongside the rest of us while actively promoting it.
Look, we weren't some established democratic powerhouse back then. Neither we nor he had any real experience with it. One thing is certain: he didn't set democracy back.
Besides, democracy isn't the single most important thing in existence; it can't simply trump national sovereignty or national security. Democracy isn't an end in itself. Developing democratic institutions is a positive thing, but in the 90s, we were all just experiencing it for the first time. You can't just snap your fingers and implement Western democratic standards that took them two hundred years to perfect overnight.
That impossibility shouldn't be used as an excuse to launch these baseless attacks against Franjo Harmon's supposed lack of democratic spirit.

and then just completely ignored them ☕

Besides, democracy isn't even the most important thing in the world. It definitely can't take priority over statehood or national security.

Exactly! Because if the Republican Party isn't in charge, suddenly democracy isn't the top priority anymore and doesn't need to be respected? Good thing he passed away before the 2000 elections. If they had lost back then, we probably would've seen tanks on the streets.

but we're already in the present day, so there's really no point in dragging Harmon and democracy back into this specific thread.

velvetmaker3 said:People have been working on this for years, and the pressure is finally paying off. The whole strategy, starting with the policies from The Hague—which is really the most critical link in this entire chain—is actually bearing fruit. I honestly don't think there would even be any protests if it were just up to the convention to make it happen. But if there were a referendum, it wouldn't pass. Still, they'll probably find a clever way to bypass that; formally, there won't be an America, but in practice, it will exist. Maybe in fifty years, once people get used to it, we might see a formal new America.
It looks like it might be time to start an American version of the IRA or ETA, sooner rather than later.

And all these pre-accession negotiations? Total farce. Just a way to cloud everyone's vision... seriously, once we join the EU, that's basically the final move in recreating America. We'll jump in and then immediately exit, and boom—it's done. Unbelievable, right?🙄

Why even stress about this stuff? If we’re going to join some kind of "union," let's just go all in with the EU... that way we can finally kick out those crooks hiding behind "patriotism"... the big bosses (which is what we really need) won't be letting guys like Sanders slide anymore.