Posts by steelharbor9

Anthony Jackson2 said:Index sits somewhere in the middle—Telegram might win on quality, but Index wins on pure volume and speed, just like someone pointed out recently. Whatever goes down, regardless of the hour, it hits Index first.

As for their investigative reporting, I get the feeling a lot of those "exposés" are actually handed to them by certain circles within the Republican Party to clear out anyone who's become a liability. My guess? Babic probably made a deal with the devil just to dodge those tax evasion charges.

Since Index was pretty much running wild under Linić, I don't really get how some kind of pact with the Republican Party would actually help him?

And honestly, it wouldn't even make sense in the real world, plus nobody mocks them more than Kolinda. I follow them enough to say for sure there isn't any positive bias toward the Criminal 😁

Elizabeth Mendoza said:That site just blows whichever way the wind is blowing. They chase whatever is pulling the most clicks at that exact moment. Sure, they dig up a story here and there, but you have to wonder how much of that is actual investigative work and how much is just getting tips from people playing both sides of the fence.

I mean, what you said applies to pretty much every major mainstream news site out there, without exception. It’s like, their whole primary way of making money is just churning out whatever gets the most clicks. I guess that's just how it works now, right? I don't really see what else there is to say about it!

The thing that really makes Index stand out from the pack is how they handle scandals. They just dive right in. Whether it’s some local drama or a massive scandal involving the highest levels of society, they write about it without hitting the brakes at all. It's exactly what restlesssurfer9 was talking about, I guess. Maybe that's just their style!

Also, something I’ve happened to hear—and read, actually—in a few different places is pretty telling. A ton of journalists, including some really seasoned veterans, have pointed out that Index might be the only newsroom they've ever worked for where they never ran into those walls. You know, like being told they couldn't publish a specific story, or having to rewrite something just because they were afraid of stepping on the wrong person's toes. It's wild, I guess! Maybe it's just their thing, but it seems pretty unique.

The bottom line is this—if you use Index for what it’s actually best at—which is those killer columns and deep-dive investigative pieces that nobody else has the guts to touch—you can get some seriously massive value for your clicks. I mean, obviously, you’d have to just tune out all the absolute nonsense over at Rouge, like those constant articles about masks and the Headquarters, but honestly? That seems like a pretty small price to pay.

Nancy Sanchez31 said:Honestly, you only had to look at what happened with Tatta to see how that works.

Wait, what exactly? I might have missed that specific part of the conversation, but it seems like they’ve always been pretty convincingly against Tatta, I guess. 🤷

restlesssurfer97 said:Honestly, Telegram is way higher quality than Index if you ask me. It’s just like how Index handles all those massive scandals—they don't hold anything back, they aren't drowning in clickbait garbage either, and they have a super clear left-center ideological lean, if you want to get technical about it 🤣

I’d say Telegram is basically tailored exactly to Brankov’s tastes.

Babić is always such a flip-flopper, one minute he’s acting liberal and leaning left, then suddenly he’s pivoting toward being an autocrat because he’d probably love nothing more than banning conservatives from even having a thought. And he does.
That’s just how the whole portal operates. You kind of just have to deal with it because they actually do uncover real scandals, which is really the only redeeming quality of that site. Plus, they’re incredibly fast at tracking what's happening across the World and getting everything translated immediately 🤣

I totally agree, though I don't really count it as one of those "mainstream" news sites. It’s kind of weird, but I can't even bring myself to visit the big mainstream outlets because they just pump out so much trash. I guess that's just how it is.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:There's truth to this. Honestly, I can point to myself as the first idiot who fell for that clickbait hysteria about a month and a half ago, reading all that garbage online.

These portals churn out hundreds of these articles every single day just to keep the ad revenue rolling in, and Index is leading the pack 24/7.
They have an entire army of student "journalists" who dutifully Google Translate everything and pump it out exactly how the bosses order. 99% of the time, it's complete trash.

Index is pure garbage. That site was built on a different set of values entirely. After the scandal involving Madonna and her business dealings, Babic got drunk on cash and turned it into the leading clickbait machine in the country. It’s basically a way for Babic and his sponsors to fund his constant trips to the Bahamas and his expensive wine habit.

Index is far, like way far, from being the best mainstream portal in America. Not even close.

Everyone out there has huge amounts of clickbait trash, so nobody really stands out for being bad. Maybe the only way to survive is to just mentally tune it all out? But, I don't know, Index seems willing to write stuff without any filters, regardless of what's happening or the context. In that specific way, they really stand apart from everyone else, except maybe some smaller outlet like Telegram.

bluebison47 said:They just melted away like those damn FIZZING TABLETS!

🤣 🤣

Jessica Gonzalez said:Wait, so you're saying an athlete who’s literally redefining the limits of the sport at 38 was somehow physically declining ten years ago and couldn't hold his own against Roger Federer? That seems like some pretty questionable math to me. Meanwhile, here is Roger Federer at 32, absolutely dominating the competition like he hasn't aged a day. I guess they forgot to tell him his prime ended when he was 26. Maybe he should check his WhatsApp for the update.

Man, just spinning theories left and right without any logic. It’s kind of impressive, actually.

I mean, Djokovic at 32 isn't even close to being the same physical beast he was at 25, and honestly, that gap is way more extreme than Federer's decline from age 30 (when he was definitely past his athletic peak) until now. You don't even need much proof for that; just look at Federer's footwork during his absolute prime (like 2004-2009) compared to, say, any match from 2013. Or just look at how Djokovic played during his peak—you don't have to look further than the 2012 Australian Open.

And the funniest part to me is this idea that Federer won those last three Grand Slams just "because Novak wasn't around." Yeah, right! Like we should all be so grateful he took it easy and lost to Nikolay Istomin just so Federer could pad his trophy count. 🙏 🙏 Truly heavenly. 🙏

I guess if you wanted to look at things rationally, you'd notice that during his prime, Federer was constantly losing to Rafael Nadal on clay (and honestly, elsewhere too, let's be real) because Nadal was just a physical freak of nature unlike anything tennis had ever seen. Then, over the last six years, Nadal basically schooled him everywhere. Even though Nadal is five years older—though that matters less since he was such an extreme early bloomer—Nadal out of his prime has lost way more matches than Federer has. Federer has kept his level incredibly steady for years by just dialing back the aggression enough to make up for the slight loss in foot speed.

Dennis Evans6 said:We can work something out, though I wouldn't call myself much of a player; I much prefer sitting back and watching a high-level match rather than stumbling around the board myself.🙂

edit: Was Magnus actually at the top of the Premier Fantasy rankings?

Yeah, he held that top spot for a little bit, I guess. Which is honestly crazier than his chess stats, maybe? 🤣

His Twitter bio basically says it all: The highest ranked chess player in the world. Former (live) #1 Fantasy Football player. 🤣

Jesse Sullivan5 said:

I can't believe I'm even addressing this right now—honestly, my heart is still racing from that last thread! But fine, let's get into it. steelharbor9, you really have a way of stirring the pot, don't you? Truly, a masterclass in provocation! I was sitting here, sipping my coffee—dark roast, extra cream, the only way to survive a Monday—and I just had to respond to what you put out there. It’s quite a bold claim, isn't it? Almost too bold! It reminds me of that one time I was stuck in traffic outside of Chicago—just absolute chaos, much like this discussion—and I realized that sometimes, the loudest voices aren't necessarily the most accurate. Anyway, back to the point! You seem convinced, but I simply cannot agree. It’s all a bit... well, let's call it "ambitious," shall we? I'll be watching this unfold, though—I truly will! kaže:

The man is an absolute, bona fide genius across the board—and I mean that! It isn't just his mastery of chess—though, let’s be honest, his tactical mind is something else entirely—it's his sense of humor and those fundamental principles he sticks to... he just gets it! He's got it all. 🙏

I’m a die-hard Real Madrid supporter—or should I say, I bleed white! There is just something about that club's history—it's legendary, really—that gets my blood pumping every single match day! 🙏

Well, I guess that makes sense! I mean, after outsmarting Kasparov when he was just thirteen, he probably got fast-tracked straight into the CIA or something.

brightpilot6 said:I’ve been playing my entire life, though I became absolutely obsessed once sites like Chess.com started popping up. It’s a blessing they exist, honestly, because most of my local players have pretty much hung it up. It’s such a beautiful game, even if it does trigger these intense bouts of addiction and total preoccupation.

If there’s any silver lining to this whole pandemic situation, perhaps it’s that I’ve finally managed to catch up with the new generation of players, since I didn't really know anyone outside of Magnus Carlsen before. They’re still out there competing, so there’s plenty of action to follow.

Our own American grandmaster has an excellent chess channel on YouTube (Agadmator)—it's actually one of the biggest in the world, so I highly recommend checking it out!

👍 👍

I don't really play. I mean, I never actually got into it, so I don't know much about the actual mechanics or anything advanced like that. It’s just not super interesting to me since I haven't had enough free time to sit down and really learn the ropes, I guess! 😁 ..., but I actually just started following...

So, I stumbled onto something pretty cool the other day! I was just scrolling through YouTube, totally by accident, when I ran into these Magnus Carlsen blitz sessions. It’s actually super interesting—he’ll just sit there for two or three hours playing blitz, usually three minutes per side, against all sorts of random opponents. He streams the whole thing and provides live commentary, which is great, and then he goes ahead and breaks everything down into individual videos for every single game. I guess it's just such a fun way to watch him play!

The guy is a total genius across the board! It’s not just his chess game—which is insane, by the way—but his sense of humor and his whole vibe. He just gets it. I guess he's just built different! 🙏

I managed to pivot away from that pretty quickly, I guess! Now I’m just glued to Agadmator, watching this MC Invitational unfold. It’s such a massive show, honestly. Over the last few years, I’ve definitely played around with that whole "chess isn't a sport" joke in debates—you know, being a bit tongue-in-cheek about it—but man, the game is just freaking brilliant. It's a total wonder, really. 🙏

If anyone’s looking to dive into chess history through one of those absolute legendary games—and honestly, you might have already devoured this one if you've been playing for a while—it's definitely worth a look! I mean, maybe it's a bit cliché, but some classics just hit different, right? 😁 I guess I should probably drop some warm recommendations for... well, just about anything! Maybe? I’m feeling pretty upbeat today, so let's get into it! Oh, this book! I mean, wow. It’s just... something else, I guess. Maybe? I don't know! It really caught me off guard, honestly. Such a wild ride!I think I might have finally missed my chance. Or maybe I just blew it. It feels like it's already passed me by, I guess. Maybe?

brightpilot6 said:It’s honestly incredible how much people can ignore what's right in front of them. Everyone acted like they were blindsided, as if they didn't see it coming. When I mentioned that the number of infections was significantly higher than reported, it was met with such disbelief—but really, no shit, Sherlock? We also seem to have developed a collective case of amnesia regarding my previous predictions that the numbers would actually be five, ten, or even a hundred times higher than what we were seeing.

It feels like there isn’t a single WhatsApp group in existence that doesn't contain at least one person who seemingly woke up this morning suddenly convinced that everyone else has lost their minds over some little virus. They walk around with this quiet certainty that if they had been at the helm from the very beginning, they would have handled the whole situation with much more grace and competence than anyone else. 🙏

And so it goes—everything is already settled, and that’s really all there is to say. 🙏

WhatsApp groups were honestly the absolute wildest during that earthquake. Seriously, every single group had that one person who had a friend, who had a buddy named Mark, whose aunt—who apparently "works at the Geological Survey"—told them an even bigger tremor was hitting in thirty minutes. 🙏

brightpilot6 said:So, your alternative is essentially what the British and Americans tried before they panicked and backed off once the situation actually hit the fans?

🤣 🤣 🤣

A buddy of mine has been preaching this exact theory for years, but honestly, every single time I see a new version pop up, I can't help but laugh. It's just too funny, I guess! 🙏

Joseph Clark37 said:Is anyone watching the documentary on Provjeriti o bolnica regarding the hospital in Madrid?

Not me! I guess user ivic27 mentioned over on the SportsCenter chat that he wouldn't recommend it for kids.

bluebison47 said:But seriously, could you even stomach anything after seeing that? 🙏🤮

To be totally honest, I have absolutely no clue who that guy is or what his deal is. When I first showed up, someone just leaned over and was like, "Hey, that's Šalković, this is his spot," and that was pretty much it. 🤷

Amanda Evans2 said:My take? It seems like Šalković is merely the chef on site, not the owner of the bar itself. There might be some deception going on here...

Just more mindless busywork. Go watch The Red Pill if you want proof...

As far as I know, Brewbites belongs to Šalković. Every single time—okay, fine, it's not like I go all the time, maybe like 3 or 4 times total 😁—whenever I've been there, I've seen him around, but I've never once caught him actually working in the kitchen😁

Amanda Evans2 said:2 Honestly, he’s going to be crying on the floor once some real man finally puts him in his place.
That isn't just a threat, it's a promise...

That’s all ancient history now, but hey, we can get into that later.

Paul Martinez73 said:And we know exactly where yours comes from too

Kar lost

:rofim:

Paul Martinez73 said:You're comparing fine dining to a burger 🤷

I'm not trying to lecture anyone; I'm just standing by my own take. Just like you're standing by yours. If you're actually interested, I could talk your ear off about high-end restaurants for days. The difference is, I can back up my opinions because I've actually been there. If your main argument is that "YS Burger is the best deal ever" but you haven't even eaten a decent burger outside of small-town suburbs, then of course you're going to resort to those insults when we sit down at a real restaurant for some Cevapi.

Try starting a debate about burgers with any world-class chef and they'll tell you exactly what I'm telling you right now—except they'll be the ones in the know, and you'll be the one guessing.

Wait, where did I actually say that? 🤷

I guess I just meant that a Submarine or Brewbites burger tastes better than a McDonald's one—just enough to justify the extra couple of bucks, you know? That’s really all I was getting at.

And yeah, I suppose being condescending is when your whole "argument" relies on making fun of millennials or fashion trends. Not to even get started on that whole situation in Karlovac.

restlesssurfer97 said:Man, I’m heading down to the underground spot to grab myself a 30 cm sub for like nine bucks.

🤣 🤣

Paul Martinez73 said:Whenever I'm on the road, I usually just grab a Subway... their sandwiches are actually pretty tasty and a nice little change of pace.

They’ve got a daily special where you can snag a 30cm sub for $5, plus you get a soda refill, and if you go for the double meat it's only about $2 more... so for around $9 you're looking at a massive double-meat sub. Cole, just take it...

I'm just talking about prices over in Germany... if we actually had that kind of selection here for like five or six bucks, it would be incredible...

But they'll show up here with the exact same prices, and honestly, nobody's even going to be crazy enough to hand over cash for a sandwich... $23

Well, if it’s worth it to them, it is. I mean, people will drop a hundred bucks just for a few courses at ManO2. But hey, that's only if they think it's worth it, I guess.

The fact that you don't want to do that is totally fair, and honestly, it's your right. I'm definitely not an expert on high-end dining myself—I know I don't get it all—but I try not to act like I know more than the food critics or whatever.

It’s kind of a gross attitude, though, when you try to force your opinion on everyone like it's some absolute truth. In reality, maybe you just don't get it because it doesn't fit into your own little bubble of beliefs.🤷

But sure, I bet you're gonna go off again about how "millennials are just obsessed with X, Y, and Z," so I don't even know why I'm bothering...

Paul Martinez73 said:If you can actually feel full off a single YS burger that costs about $17, I honestly don't know how big you are or how much food you can actually put away.
If you opt for the double version, though, you're looking at roughly $22, and once you add in some French fries and a soda, you're hitting $33 just for some ground beef and bread. You could market that as whatever you want and still make a profit.

It's usually just pure fashion statements, because once someone jacks up the price, everyone just accepts it as the new norm...

Sure, a burger and some French fries might fill you up, and hey, I guess I'm not exactly a giant. 😁 But I'm not even talking about the price here, and it's not even my main concern as long as the quality justifies what I'm paying. It just seems like I can't get through to you because you've got that classic, narrow-minded "price gouging" comeback ready for everything. And honestly, there's no counter to that, right? Checkmate, I guess. You win.