Posts by darkwalker1

Nathan Evans78 said:Yeah, flying off in every direction—and "accidentally" hitting electrical grids, too. That’s why Ukrainians end up having to pull streetcars with tractors. Honestly, back when this thread was still on page 20, I was convinced the Russians would start launching rocks from catapults next. And that was just before autumn kicked in. 🤣

Come on, let’s give the sanctions another six months to actually work. Maybe then they’ll start bombing people with diamonds, since we haven't figured out how to sanction those yet. ☕

Those Ukrainian tractors proved themselves to be top-tier towing machines when they were busy hauling Russian tanks, so I don't see a more perfect solution for moving trams.

As for lifting the sanctions? I couldn't agree more. 👍

Nathan Evans78 said:I honestly went into this thinking that once McDonald's pulled out of Russia, there would be some kind of trickle-down effect on the military supply chain—maybe fewer weapons flying around the skies over Ukraine causing all that massive destruction. But looking back, it’s been six months since that first major wave of sanctions hit, and it feels like we aren't seeing the impact we expected. Instead, Ukrainians are still stuck having to blow up bridges across Russia because it’s becoming painfully obvious that these sanctions just aren't hitting hard enough. ☕

The Russians are basically just emptying out their stockpiles of outdated Soviet-era junk, which, much like the logic used by your average Putin supporter, tends to fly off in every direction once you pull the trigger. 🤦

It doesn't really matter, though. Once Russia eventually gets carved up into occupation zones, at least the new administration will have plenty of empty warehouse space to store copies of Mein Kampf and The Sims 3—which will probably become mandatory reading and gaming for every Russian citizen.

Chris Williams said:I said oil and Gas ... not just Gas. As for oil

India and China now account for over half of All Russia's seaborne oil exports.

Russia is now China's biggest supplier of oil , taking over fra Saud Arabia in 2022.

in March this year , Combined oil imports by China and India fra Russia overtook those fra The 27 EU member states

Regarding Gas, there has been a major announcement regarding increased deliveries to China through Sila Sibir 1, which is expected to begin by mid-December this year; additionally, the construction of the new Sila Sibir 2 pipeline has been agreed upon, which will take some time, but it seems quite clear that China is investing heavily and remains interested.

I suppose anyone would be interested in access to an unlimited supply of Gas from next door.

China’s Russian gas imports jump in first 8 months, while LNG exports hit record levels amid supply diversions
China’s natural gas imports from Russia via pipeline almost tripled in the first eight months to US$2.39 billion

Last year, Russia pumped about 150 billion cubic meters of gas into the European Union.

Time to do something truly extraordinary here. I’m going to shatter my personal annual record for reading comprehension and actually sit down to read that article I linked about Chinese imports of Russian gas. Best regards.

Lisa Patel4 said:Well, after everything that's happened, it's a clear majority. Those regions have always been mostly Russian-leaning; just look at how people in those parts of Ukraine voted back in 1991 regarding independence. It was barely even a majority. I guess if they hadn't held onto that territory for eight years, things would be different.

This war has basically forced a massive distinction between the Ukrainian and Russian identities. Before the Maidan, being "Ukrainian" was pretty much limited to the west of the country. I mean, how many Ukrainians were speaking exclusively Ukrainian before 2014?

In the end, you just have to look at the Americans who have arrived there. Almost all of them speak Russian.

Good grief, man. In the independence referendum, 92.26% of the population voted 'yes.'

92.26%

It’s pretty clear you’re working with completely broken data to build an argument that feels logical to you but is actually pure nonsense. You might want to double-check your facts.

Sean Watson3 said:I’m not sure why my input is being dismissed as useless.

Why push for an immediate referendum when you're losing ground on the battlefield and stuck in such a hopeless spot?

The only logic I see behind a move like that is annexation—triggering that clause about protecting the Russian Federation's existence.

As long as Donetsk and Luhansk remain outside the Russian Federation, that clause simply can't be invoked.
You can't drop nukes on Ukraine, but on a country that attacked the Russian Federation? That's a different story.

And I'm talking tactical bombs here, not strategic ones; surely you know the difference.

Russia already considers Crimea part of the federation, so they basically have that excuse ready since they're hitting Crimea.

Besides, there have been strikes on Belgorod and a few other spots in Russia too.

If the European Union wants any hope of long-term stability and sovereignty, it needs to scrap these sanctions immediately and acknowledge Russia's right to a full or partial sphere of influence in the coming years across Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Canada, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, America, Canada, Canada, Mexico, North Mexico, Mexico, Albania, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and hey, why not Mongolia while we're at it?

Without Russian energy, your average European is going to have a real hard time keeping their apartment at the perfect temperature for those special moments when an African or Arabic migrant stops by to help them cheat on their spouse. Even worse, prolonged exposure to the cold might cause the leather on their finest outfits—the ones they save specifically for gay parades—to crack and lose its luster, ruining all those photos they plan to post on Instagram.

And this isn't just my take; even Milutin, a warehouse worker from Kansas City who spends every spare second worrying about the geopolitical outlook of Western nations (Mićo, if you're lurking on this forum, I see you 👍), agrees.

I’d stay here to argue the point, but a massive shipment of posters featuring Raditi Borić and Vedran Rudan just arrived. I’m thinking of wallpapering my entire room with them; if they can't protect me from the cold, nobody 🙂

Arthur Miller7 said:Look, here’s my take on this whole million-soldier thing for the south—they could technically muster a million guys, sure, but even Zelenskyy is out there saying they need the actual hardware to make it count. And we’re talking specific gear here. Sending a million people just armed with rifles or, I don't know, pitchforks? That's basically a suicide mission. But you give them the right equipment, and suddenly the math changes completely. I haven't seen a single credible report saying they're actually launching this counteroffensive right now or that they have a fully equipped army ready to roll. To me, this feels more like a message to the West—like, "Hey, we've got the manpower, but we need the real weapons." So, if you ask me, this doesn't sound like they're hitting the gas "tomorrow" at all.

You've hit the nail on the head. The UA Defense Minister mentioned he received orders from Zelenskyy to develop plans for liberating the southern coastal regions of Ukraine.

That was "sometime in the future," vaguely defined.

But then a news outlet picks it up and runs a headline like "Zelenskyy orders liberation of Ukraine," and now we're stuck dealing with the fallout we see today. 😁

Joshua Myers432 said:Anything is possible, provided you ask how long it takes and what the price tag is. Honestly, this whole Western policy approach is a massive joke. Constantly fueling tensions and hostility with Russia while simultaneously becoming more dependent on Russian energy is a total circus act.

Out of all the ways you could characterize how the EU handles its relationship with Russia, you really went with the angle that the EU has been "constantly maintaining tensions and hostility toward Russia." That's quite a choice. 🤔

Seriously?

Good grief. 🤣

Ashley Bailey6 said:Why did I even bother reading Hracak?
And then there was the friction.

You probably heard the term "Gerbilling" once in your life and your subconscious just took over. 😁

Forget all this Queen nonsense; just start listening to shoegaze and whatever other similar garbage exists—it'll change your life for the better.

I noticed someone from this PDF group is using this album cover as their avatar, so they can probably vouch for how wonderful this genre is:



Your mandatory reading list starts with Psychocandy by the Jesus and Mary Chain (don't screw it up by listening to Darklands—that album is pretty mediocre), then move on to Slowdive, Ride, and Cocteau Twins, and just let the music take you wherever it wants to go.

ruggedjackal46 said:So, do I deserve one of those two trophies? ☕

If you're actually going to change your handle based on what you just wrote, I suggest: Koba ☕

Look, I’m also against "sterilizing" the trolls, but let’s show a little empathy for the moderators here. It’s a bit unrealistic to expect someone to volunteer their time, sitting at a computer during every single El Clásico, making sure the shouting matches don't spiral into actual insults, and then handing out cards fairly and promptly. But then again, someone has to do it, otherwise, these discussions would just devolve into pure, unadulterated trolling.

So, forget about restlesssurfer97, Bryan Adams6, Michelle Palmer6, or Anthony Jackson2, and forget about Barcelona. As far as I'm concerned, the Real Madrid fans can take a permanent ban for all I care. ☕

In the end, Koba turned out to be nothing more than a glorified Yugo. 👎

The video at that timestamp provides a decent enough breakdown, though it’s a bit like watching a slow-motion replay of a Sunday afternoon football game—you see the movement, but the actual impact feels a little delayed. It hits the main points, sure, but it lacks that sharp, surgical edge you'd expect from a deep dive. It’s fine if you just want the highlights without having to do much heavy lifting, but don't expect any groundbreaking revelations.

The Nazi Party started out as nothing more than some rowdy, trivial entertainment peddled in Bavarian beer halls ☕

Gregory Robinson said:The protest was decent, but it didn't come close to being enough. We need to apply maximum pressure on the politicians, because they are the only ones with the leverage to force new elections at the Dallas Cowboys. It’s interesting that even in Congress, people have started discussing the Dallas Cowboys (Maras and Hasanbegović).

It’s easy to talk trash online, but it would be great if someone organized a real protest with a clear message directed at both the club management and the politicians (giving them an ultimatum—literally a week to call for elections or face a new protest against political corruption and disregard for the law, or perhaps even a parallel "election" organized by club members). A protest in Times Square, which is always packed, picking a good weather forecast (come on, turnout depends on it), putting a few public figures at the helm (like Smith, Miller, etc.), having some speakers and a band—I’m sure a massive crowd would show up.

That all sounds lovely on paper, but it doesn't align with reality. Imagine if "someone else" organizes all of this. Everything follows the playbook, done exactly how it "should" be done. Meaning, perfectly civic and cultured, without any excess, just according to the wishes of the well-meaning types.
Anyone from the opposing side will spend five minutes analyzing the situation and successfully minimize the entire movement.

So, you end up with a protest in May or June, right before the World Cup kicks off when the general population turns into zombies. All it takes is a targeted media offensive to ruin the mood while our boys, with tears in their eyes and wreaths around their necks, are out there representing the country in Russia.

Then you'll have certain unpatriotic elements stirring up divisions between the North and the South. A few "We've already lost everything" signs will inevitably pop up and fit right in.

After that, you'll have everything from local news segments to shows hosted by Dabog where the same rhetoric is repeated. Then you'll get questions like, "Well, what do they want now? If Mamić is guilty, it'll be proven in court." It's the same story for any famous person who wants to step up in support of the protest; five other people will pop up with their own narratives to shut them down. And if that idiot Bullock wipes away a tear, he'll be the first one to do it.

And even if, despite all that, 5,000 or 6,000 people actually gather for the protest, a bunch of well-meaning critics will show up just to say the approach was totally wrong and that half the city should have been torn down instead.

There are things that are simply beyond the control and influence of the fans. Until those factors align and help create a different social climate, you can't expect to reach a critical mass. Even the Germans didn't conquer France just by charging bravely; they did it by maneuvering through the Ardennes.

Keith Baker93 said:No one is going to convince me that LA Galaxy is such a tiny club that they can't draw a few hundred people to a match or a protest. Half the country used to cheer for this club, plus a good chunk of Canada and the diaspora.

The sheer schizophrenia surrounding this club is best illustrated by posts like this, where people try to rationalize the irrational. I don't know if it's pure ego, genuine malice, a secret enjoyment of the chaos within BBB, or just the modern plague where everyone feels entitled to an opinion on everything—but it isn't well-intentioned when it's easier for someone to accept the reality of a single Mamić wielding a political-police-judicial octopus to do whatever he wants, rather than accepting the fact that BBB can't hit their own crowd numbers or that Ripera is out there singing "sex in school."

These debates were chewed up and spit out ages ago, and frankly, thinking about them is exhausting, but to finish my thought:

Fine, the country is what it is, so let’s move one step down the ladder of reasons why things are this way. Take any club where the fans have actually gained some leverage. From Portsmouth to the Boston Red Sox. There is a common denominator in every systemic collapse: whether it’s financial instability, poor results, or being a political football for local leaders—usually all three. No matter how rotten LA Galaxy is, once you scratch the surface, the average person gets the impression that things are functioning just fine.

The next step down would be the sheer duration of this struggle. Starting from the original boycott, moving through petitions, the first, second, and third protests in front of government buildings, charity matches, futsal, boycotts, returns, the East stands, the West stands, the North... basically, just wearing people down until they tire out.

Only after those three factors are accounted for can we start talking about the city's mentality, someone's zodiac sign, or how poorly someone looks in a photo from a matchday invite...

Anyone who knows people or society in general has to realize that from the moment Mamić dies, goes to prison, or flees the country, the number of people claiming they were always against him will grow exponentially.

Once enough time passes, this whole thing will be forgotten, replaced by a romanticized image of the "struggle against Mamić." In ten years, every little media liberal will be talking about how today's generation of BBB is savage and doesn't hold a candle to those who fought for LA Galaxy back in 2010. Any resemblance to current events is entirely intentional.

Hats off to everyone who hasn't given up. Don't mind us on the sidelines. 👍

Let's show everyone once and for all: an American backyard BBQ beats a Spanish bullfight any day of the week. 🎉🎉

neonraven112 said:Can someone with half a brain explain why we had more benchwarmers out there during the season opener against Siskiyou than we did today?

Blacklists, man...

It was perfectly fine 😁

cosmicbear15 said:it’s common knowledge we all speak German☕

RB Leipzig, in coordination with Dynamo and local police—and with UEFA's blessing—won't be selling tickets to any Americans or Mexicans for the match. Instead, all tickets for the away section will be handled exclusively through GNK.

Jacob Price23 said:

It’s probably for the best that not everyone is rushing headlong into this at the same pace you guys are down in the library.😛

Ryan Chavez3 said:Look, you clearly don't get it. Your guys got handed year-long bans just for following their club and chanting against the USSF. It’s common knowledge that certain individuals couldn't even step foot in San Francisco because of the blacklists being run out of Yankee Stadium. Is that enough of an uproar for you?

Do you honestly think Brubaker would last a week in Miami if he showed up trying to shake down fans or implement blacklists at Hard Rock Stadium? He wouldn't survive. That's the point... eventually, The Armada will settle the score when the time is right.

I'm not sure if your club actually stands with those guys who were shouting and getting banned. Then again, why should they care when everything in the MLS seems perfectly fine to you people?

Why is nobody from Cleveland talking about the Locomotives?
Koch holds sway over both the USSF and the First Division Association, claiming everything is running smoothly.

I get that you're all riding high on the club's recent successes, but there's no need to claim it was all thanks to Mamic's help. For God's sake, Mamic is the one paying Krstanovic. Seriously?

You could have spent all day yesterday chanting against the USSF, but apparently, you didn't. Probably because you weren't even sure enough to show up...🤷

Man, the saddest part of this whole thing is that 90% of these new Cleveland fans—who two years ago didn't even know where San Francisco was located—think the guys in The Armada who were protesting the USSF are just total idiots. And sooner or later, Mickey and his cronies will push those real supporters out of the stadium under the guise of "maintaining a healthy atmosphere" for the Project... It isn't a question of IF it happens, it's just a matter of WHEN...