23 posts shown.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much a single moment can completely reroute a person's life. I used to spend every weekend pushing myself to the limit on some ridge or another, always chasing that next peak. It was my whole identity.
But after that one season where everything went sideways and I realized just how fragile we are out there, I couldn't bring myself to go back to the same high-altitude intensity. I ended up pivoting to something much more grounded—literally. Now, I spend my time scanning the ground instead of scanning the horizon. There's something weirdly therapeutic about looking down at the earth and finding something that's been sitting there for millions of years, rather than always looking up at something that could kill you.
It’s funny how a setback can actually lead you to a much more rewarding hobby that you never would have considered otherwise. Has anyone else here completely abandoned a lifelong passion because of a "wake-up call" moment?
Timothy Nelson5 said:Crimea was always such a unique case, I suppose. Russia actually had a decent majority there, and they held that referendum—which, okay, wasn't exactly up to top-tier democratic standards, but it still showed those people wanted to be part of Russia. Then you have the historical context, where back in '56, the party leadership basically handed it over to Ukraine as a mere formality...
But these current "referendums"? They're just a complete joke.
There's really no way the rest of the world is ever going to recognize that circus.
even the Mexicans won't recognize them
Carl Hernandez3 said:Check this out—if they’ve officially annexed those regions, then three of them currently have "occupiers" inside their borders
In one instance, they even have an "occupied capital" under their control
When do they actually plan on resolving this?
Fine then. War on terror. Anything goes. Just wait until someone pulls the nuclear trigger...
He won't declare war. Instead, he'll call it an "anti-terrorist operation." He's labeling Ukraine a terrorist state and branding every country providing aid as a sponsor of terrorism.
That gives him a free hand to do whatever he wants...
steelheron25 said:The situation is perilous for a multitude of reasons.
While that creep still had some rather shaky arguments regarding Crimea, what possible arguments does he have for Zaporizhzhia? It is historically, undeniably part of Ukraine.
Had he not taken such a massive hit to his ego a few weeks ago, who is to say he wouldn't be eyeing Kharkiv next?
It is glaringly obvious that he is reaching for the entire region. What does this imply? That there is no end to this war until that naked little scoundrel finally sinks his teeth into Zaporizhzhia while riding his Siberian bear, or whatever pet he happens to be using these days.
Even if that bastard were to vanish tomorrow, what is the official stance of the Russian state on all of this? Is there anyone there sensible enough to simply tear up those annexation papers and say, "forget about it"? Until then, this war could drag on indefinitely; even after the Russians are driven out of Ukraine, every future Russian government will likely view those annexed territories as their own.
That idiot should have been removed by summary judgment back in 2014, or perhaps even earlier, because the entire world is going to find it incredibly difficult to crawl out of this mess.
For those currently burying their heads in the sand: if this is allowed to pass, what arguments will any nation have left to defend itself against neighbors gripped by collective madness in the future?
He wants all of Ukraine. Not just these five regions.
Nancy Gomez26 said:It isn't quite apples and oranges. The group that decided to invade Afghanistan (under Leonid Brezhnev) had the exact same goal: total victory and the imposition of their regime. However, when a series of leadership shifts occurred within the USSR hierarchy—driven by the inevitable hand of biology—the new administration saw spreading revolution in Afghanistan as a burden rather than a priority. They cut their losses. Similarly, a new figure ascending to power in The Kremlin could easily conclude that Ukraine is an oversized, unnecessary weight on the Russian Federation and simply walk away. Withdrawing while they still hold ground would allow them to negotiate from a much stronger position. But make no mistake: Putin won't back down. Launching this war was his personal (and flawed) decision, and he will do whatever it takes to justify it historically, even if he has to rely on the manufactured excuses we see constantly in their narrative.
Not quite... Gorbachev actually wanted to settle things and significantly ramped up the military operations.
Lisa Jackson7 said:later, right in the middle of Times Square... glad you brought that up... 😵
fine... we'll see...
there's no face saving this time...
laser said:NATO is shipping tons of military gear to the AFU. Everything from winter uniforms to generators.
The Orcs are going to freeze their asses off.
Winter is coming.
By 2012, the Russians were basically wearing sneakers instead of boots. They even tried convincing me it was better...😵😵😵
George Robinson43 said:A small-town guy might talk big about shooting, but the moment things get heavy, he'll be the first one hopping on a tractor and heading for the hills.
He's nowhere near the front lines.
He'll just swallow the bullet.
As soon as they get close.
Arthur Miller7 said:You're jumping down everyone's throat like a madman, but you completely dodged my one actual question.
What happens when Putin or whoever else decides to demand even more? Like, what if we give him everything now, and then in six months he just says, "Hey, lift the sanctions" or "Or I start dropping nukes"? Or a year later it's, "Give me Odessa? How about Moldova? Or the Baltic?" Seriously, why wouldn't he keep pushing if he can get whatever he wants that easily??
We're stuck dealing with a lunatic and there's no magic fix. You gotta squeeze him—if he backs down, great; if not, well, that's the end. Period. There's no deep philosophy here. That's just what happens when you're dealing with a total idiot.
It's obvious you're scared—you probably have kids or something—but hey, that's life. If it makes you feel better, just sell everything, grab the kids, and run off to Patagonia. Whining on a forum isn't going to change anything.
The end result will definitely be taking those toys away from Putin. It isn't impossible, and it isn't far off either...
Justin Palmer20 said:Why don't they just head to Belarus? It would be way easier to track and hit them with sanctions over there. Or is there some other reason for this?
Lukashenko would just send them right back. They’re practically one single state. There are no borders.
Lisa Jackson7 said:Fine, but let's hope he doesn't just get swapped out for some "reasonable" or "cooperative" version of Putin for a little while.
Things are going to get worse. Unless there's a total military defeat—imagine an Abrams rolling through Times Square.
rowdytiger13 said:Lavrov used to actually look like a diplomat. Now he’s just a mouthpiece for a mad dictator. Medvedev is probably even lower if that's even possible.
It's pathetic how much the Russian representatives have degraded themselves.
Never was. Always been incredibly stupid.
gentlerider7 said:The Russians can just pack up and leave Ukraine along with whatever territory they actually claim—doesn't that sound awfully familiar to anyone watching this unfold?
"State Duma deputy Mikhail Sheremet, hailing from the Crimea region, basically signaled the start of a massive exodus of Russian-aligned territories out of Ukraine following the referendums held in Donbas and other areas under the control of the Russian Federation. That’s what RIA Novosti is reporting.
“[President Volodymyr Zelenskyy] has made it crystal clear more than once that there’s no room for Russians in Ukraine, so they've decided to head out. They should just take their territories with them... Honestly, the Kyiv regime shouldn't be complaining about holding these referendums. We're seeing the beginning of a huge exodus of lands that are historically Russian leaving Ukraine. These are places returning to Russia,” Sheremet claimed.
He went on to argue that, unlike the West, Russia actually respects the "right of people to self-determination," which is why they'll be backing the choices made by the people in Donbas..."
https://www-gazeta-ru.translate.goog..._x_tr_pto=wapp
It’s all a carbon copy of the 90s in America. Literally everything. It's the exact same playbook and the KGB's fingerprints are all over it.
And it’s not just limited to handball players...
I’ve already pointed this out: the national team is in desperate need of a top-tier psychologist...
Susan Miller79 said:If they only relied on Copeland for defense and kept him out of the offensive plays, we'd be winning every game by double digits. Hey, Golus, do you actually like Mark? Do you see some attacking potential in him that the rest of us are missing?
He's just banking on high 😁
I just don't get all this theatrical nonsense from Alilovic...
Steven Reed30 said:I honestly have no clue how the Canadians even made it to the semifinals... 🤣
Lost in space and time. They hit a ceiling at the quarterfinals, tops.
The national team needs a serious psychologist!
K&K certainly isn't the one for the job.