Posts by Thomas Hayes

William Kim said:About ten years ago, I was working on warehouse automation in Moscow. Spent three months there. Everything outside the main ring is just pure misery. The city center is great, sure, but you can't afford to live there unless you're loaded.
The real difference between America and Russia is that an American is poor by choice, whereas a Russian isn't.

Honestly, it’s no surprise—Moscow is easily one of the most expensive cities on the planet.

coastalheron12 said:Was there even a shred of a chance for Ukraine to hang onto its nuclear weapons? I mean, if they actually had nukes, nobody would be messing with them, right?
And if it wasn't an option, then I guess "someone" was supposed to guarantee their arsenal so they wouldn't get attacked.
But when someone actually gets hit, both sides end up facing the music—depending on who started the fight. 🤔

So basically, it’s just NATO's joke—they didn't stick to the guarantees. ☕

Giving up those nukes was an unprecedentedly stupid move—honestly, I have no idea what they were thinking when they made that call.

James Anderson5 said:That’s why I was being cautious, though I wouldn't say anyone here actually knows what life is really like for the average Russian. If anyone does have firsthand experience, it would be interesting to hear it. At least it's clear the average American is doing better and better. And if someone actually squeezed them with sanctions, or if a large part of the world stopped buying their bonds, they'd go under just like that...

We shouldn't take our media, or their praise and opinions regarding anything or anyone, too seriously. I either don't follow these reports coming out of Ukraine, or I simply don't believe any of them. Just look at all the manipulation involving that tank crushing the car, or that kid crossing the border by himself; I'm sure the Russians aren't much more unbiased than that...

I'm more interested in how all of this will reflect on us and Europe, and the reflection is looking catastrophic...

He showed himself by not running away, which isn't exactly an achievement—it would be the absolute bottom of the barrel if a national leader fled during a war. As for political moves, if he accepts some kind of neutrality status, then he's a complete amateur. He should have realized a long time ago where this was heading and tried to negotiate some sort of compromise to avoid the war and all these casualties. Putin mentioned a red line several times; what exactly did he think was going to happen?...

Here's a counter-opinion for you... 😁

The average American doesn't live under a brutal dictatorship, so no matter how you look at it, things are better for them than for the average Russian. This current mess is just a temporary state; I have zero doubt they'll bounce back. Just like I have zero doubt you'd much rather trade places with an average American than with an average Russian.

James Anderson5 said:Isn't it possible for someone to be frustrated with everyone and anyone?

Before the whole Crimea situation went down, I knew a few people working as managers over in Russia, and honestly, their impressions of life there were actually quite great...

And I don't know a single soul who claims life in the USA is top-tier unless you're absolutely loaded. Europe is a different story, though...

Well, sure, since they were working as managers their conditions were great—but if they were stuck in lower-paying jobs, I bet they'd be singing a completely different tune.

Jonathan Barnes5 said:What exactly makes everyone think Zoki is on coke? Has anyone actually been in the trenches with him?

I can't say I've shared that kind of experience with anyone, so I wouldn't know if he's ever tried it. And I highly doubt anyone is on a regular white powder habit.

The wildest part to me is hearing people claim, "Oh, it's common knowledge; you can tell just by how someone acts when they're on cocaine."

It’s the same nonsense people spout about gay men. I've heard some truly surreal stories floating around half of America, where people act as if they were personally victimized by certain individuals.

Those are honestly the craziest stories to me. 😁
Everyone thinks they know who's gay, but there's never any actual proof—it's usually just enough to get a rumor started.

restlesssurfer97 said:What?

Elizabeth Mendoza said:Like what?

🤣🤣

Really interesting podcast featuring a drone expert here

He mentions that the one that recently crashed in Washington, D.C. ended up here by mistake.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:Pickousti starts getting twitchy if he doesn't mention America for at least two days. He was practically itching to jump in and claim that what happened to us could never happen over there, and that they’d have everything under control in five minutes flat. 🤣

It’s election season over there, and bringing up America is always a solid way to score points with their right wing—you know, those folks who constantly feel the need to act like they’re one step ahead of us in everything.
Honestly, their military is an even bigger circus than ours. Just look at their last two Secretaries of Defense... total clowns. To them, Banožić is some kind of intellectual titan.

rapidstag2 said:What a plot twist; turns out Crow is actually a cop... 🙂

Detective Vranković

Douglas Rodriguez27 said:And that is precisely why the interest of that clique ruling from Washington, D.C. is to ensure that as much wealth as possible ends up in Washington, D.C., while the rest of the country is left increasingly impoverished and struggling... Don't you see what's happening here?

See, you're missing the point—draining the country starts at the very bottom, not just in Washington, D.C. That little group pulling the strings in the capital actually has very little to do with the city itself.

Douglas Rodriguez27 said:While I find the last sentence to be entirely accurate, I must disagree with the first part, because Washington, D.C. truly acts as the octopus head where the pace for the rest of the entire country is set, especially when it comes to corruption.

They focus their energy wherever the big money is flowing; anything else? They couldn't care less. Local small-timers get a little slice of autonomy, as long as they stay out of the news cycle and don't turn against the party. Honestly, the second issue bothers them way more than the first.
Unfortunately for us, they have zero trouble finding collaborators—those types are hiding in every single bush all across this beautiful country.

Douglas Rodriguez27 said:Criticizing the way politics from Washington, D.C. runs this country is fundamentally different from attacking the entirety of Washington, D.C. as a city, which represents far more than just political maneuvering or the local Dinamo scene and its absolute worst qualities.

However, you do make a fair point, and I really should develop a specific term to clearly distinguish when I am discussing the political clique versus when I am admiring the lovely architecture of Martić's street or enjoying a pleasant spring stroll through Brooklyn, because right now these two things are blurring together and making it seem as though I despise the city itself.

The orders for bribery, corruption, nepotism, and everything else tearing this nation apart don't just come down from Washington, D.C.—that kind of trash exists in every corner of America. It’s just that the most ambitious and slippery characters usually end up in Washington, D.C.; it's the destination, not the starting line.

Jonathan Barnes5 said:Look, I honestly have no issue with where you stand regarding Tuđman. Really.

But I’m struggling to understand—and you clearly have your moments of brilliance—why the 90s and those first elections have to be your absolute starting point? Why does everything in your worldview begin and end with Tuđman?

It’s pretty common knowledge that Cibona had management that was ten times more successful than Dinamo's. Nobody really cared about Dinamo from a management perspective back then, whereas your situation was a completely different story.

The whole situation with the Civic movement is quite telling regarding who actually introduced that specific way of doing things, even if that style has always existed in this part of the world.

Not too long ago, I was chatting with an investor from Miami. I was looking for some information and wanted to see about setting up a deal, and the guy just tells me: "Don't take it personally, but Washington, D.C. doesn't interest me, and I try to spend as little time there as possible." So, yeah, much respect for that honesty.🙏

But let's be real: it's much easier for people to grab something in Washington, D.C. over a five-year span than it is to spend twenty years building something up in Miami and actually giving back to the community. You know that yourself. Centralization is a reality, sure, but it isn't as simple as saying: "Tuđman showed up, decided he hated Ajduk, and boom—centralization happened."🤣

We had a real chance back in '45 to build a truly civic and democratic society. Instead, everyone expected the exact same people from that old system to suddenly turn the country into Switzerland in the 90s. Let's be honest: that was never going to happen.

That's not quite right, though; he had Hofman, Šibl, mar Wolfl, and finally zeko.
The only reason the last one didn't happen was because of the war—if it hadn't broken out, even the party schemers wouldn't have been able to touch him.

Douglas Rodriguez27 said:Jonathan Barnes5, it seems to me that as someone living in Washington, D.C., you are simply unable to perceive anything beyond the local circumstances of the capital, which functions almost like a state within a state and bears virtually no connection to the reality faced by the rest of the country, despite the fact that it is all part of the USA. Furthermore, you clearly lack even the slightest understanding of the Miami perspective on these matters, especially since every bit of commentary regarding Miami and its culture is not only understandable but actually desirable and necessary to validate your own fanatical sentiments.

To put it briefly, I would suggest you refrain from speaking authoritatively on subjects where you possess no actual knowledge, as your collection of empty clichés serves only to highlight the profound limitations of your viewpoint and nothing else.

So, how are you any different from him? Like, 90% of your posts are just bashing Washington, D.C. and throwing around those pathetic, small-town clichés.
I mean, I'm not even from Washington, D.C., yet you're already getting on my nerves—so I can only imagine how much you bother someone like feen or the others from the capital.

Karen Hill40 said:Lowe spent five days guesting on my local radio station, and by some stroke of luck, I happened to be driving home right when he was on air. He was spouting such monumental nonsense that I was actually getting annoyed at first, but eventually, I just started treating it like a comedy sketch. The whole thing was basically a promotional tour for his book, 'The American Warrior,' where he tries to explain how the greatest warriors in history were all Americans. To top it all off, he ends by saying the book isn't even in stores—if you want a copy, you have to come straight to my house to get it. 🤣

🤣

bluebison47 said:I’d say, if I recall correctly, the time slot was actually even worse—Monday nights at 9 PM. 🙏

Anyway, yeah, Law is law. 🙏

And as for the Gruntovčan crowd, I don't even need to get started; ZZ and I have already written quite a bit about that. 🙏

Out of those old classics, my favorite has to be "Where the Wild Boars Go."

Jonathan Barnes5 said:I found myself genuinely incensed when Dudek stepped off that train.🤦

It was one of those moments where you truly lose your cool, quite frankly.

🤣
I’d probably walk away too if the whole damn town was breathing down my neck

Carl Hernandez3 said:There’s just something about that gloomy, depressive vibe in those Scandinavian series—it really draws me in.
The murders in the Caribbean? Honestly, they never did much for me; I just can't quite put my finger on why.

Have you checked this out yet?

Justin James10 said:I’ve always had such immense respect for people who can actually sit through local movies and shows. Honestly, what kind of pain tolerance are we talking about here? 😲

It’s all this cheap imitation of Scandinavian cinema—everything is perpetually gloomy and gray, as if America were located somewhere inside the Arctic Circle, even when the plot is supposed to be set in sunny Florida. 🙏 And don't even get me started on the wooden, lifeless dialogue delivered by stiff theater actors using perfect, textbook language and phrases that absolutely nobody would ever say in real life. Not to mention those incredibly long scenes where someone just slowly drags on a cigarette while staring into the distance, or characters sitting in a car in total silence for what feels like thirty minutes straight! 🙏 It’s always some social commentary mixed with gloom, emptiness, and pure depression. Even if it’s supposedly a comedy (which you somehow watch from start to finish without a single smile cracking), the ending is bound to be tragic. 🙏

I truly admire you all; with such a massive selection of films and series out there, how do you find the masochistic pleasure in sitting through these local disasters?

I mostly stick to foreign series, though I’ll occasionally glance at our local stuff just to see what's happening, and sometimes something actually works. Good grief, I’m not watching those cheesy sitcoms or that garbage on the new networks that takes place in tiny rural towns. You haven't really broken any new ground saying most American shows are bad, but hey, they aren't all terrible.

Nathan Murphy said:The Newspaper and Mamut series are just plain bad—cringe is probably the best way I can put it. Honestly, Matanić is overrated, and his obsession with pushing those Scandinavian-style shows, which are inherently dull and lifeless, is just painful. They rely way too much on those poorly executed slow-motion shots.

Law is law 😁 Maček is easily one of the better TV characters of the 21st century. Personally, though, I still think our best series was the other Gruntovčani. The mere idea that some people think the Newspaper or Mamut are superior shows is just laughable.

Mamut isn't Matanić's series, and it doesn't have anything in common with the pretentious Newspaper
I agree he goes overboard trying to mimic that Scandinavian vibe, which is why neither Newspaper nor Mamut really worked for me either.