Posts by Joshua Myers432

boldotter2 said:The Germans are probably going to be freezing this winter and part of next, but they'll figure it out. That's just how Germans are. They aren't like North American folks or Frenchmen. If you tell a German to freeze, they'll just freeze without making a huge scene about it. I mean, maybe.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Mexicans and Russians living in Germany start driving trucks with flags through the streets. Everyone else? Well, they'll probably just grab some space heaters and thick socks.

The Germans might be willing to freeze, but their industry 🤦

will sink, taking the rest of us down with it.

Gerald Chavez7 said:Yeah, look—up until February 24th, everyone was terrified of provoking Russia. They just didn't believe an actual invasion was coming—that much is obvious. Then, two days later, the entire political landscape did a complete 180.

Everything. 🙂 (Once I track down the link, I'll drop it back in here.)

Current suppliers—as it stands.
2) domestic reserves
3) LNG capacity limits
4) coal
5) cutting back on consumption
6) renewable energy sources
7) Mass electrification of transport—because clearly, we haven't had enough sudden shifts to deal with lately.
8) Heat pumps in apartment buildings—now that's an interesting one.
9) Guessing when they’ll finally pull the plug on the nuclear plants.

EDIT: So, there you have it—155 billion cubic meters of gas. That’s the entire Russian import volume for a single year right there.
https://twitter.com/mark_lynas/statu...82300901900292

I’m feeling a little optimistic about this—but hey, it might actually work.

1. What kind of "black" list of existing suppliers are we talking about?
2. Minimal to nonexistent.
3. You can't source nearly enough, and we don't even have the LNG terminals ready.
4. Nice idea, but where are the actual power plants?
5. I'll give you this: it's the best point. Turn everything off and you won't need gas. 🙏
6. You can't replace traditional fuels with that garbage, nor can you build new infrastructure in any realistic timeframe.
7. Where are you getting millions of EVs and thousands of heat pumps from? And better yet, where's the electricity to power that whole scam?
8. Everyone should do it, sure, but that’s a process that takes years. We lack the skilled labor, likely the materials, and honestly, it probably won't move the needle much on national energy consumption anyway.
9. They'll have to do it, though there will be plenty of issues there too.

Gerald Chavez7 said:Yeah, look—up until February 24th, everyone was terrified of provoking Russia. They just didn't believe an actual invasion was coming—that much is obvious. Then, two days later, the entire political landscape did a complete 180.

Everything. 🙂 (Once I track down the link, I'll drop it back in here.)

Current suppliers—as it stands.
2) domestic reserves
3) LNG capacity limits
4) coal
5) cutting back on consumption
6) renewable energy sources
7) Mass electrification of transport—because clearly, we haven't had enough sudden shifts to deal with lately.
8) Heat pumps in apartment buildings—now that's an interesting one.
9) Guessing when they’ll finally pull the plug on the nuclear plants.

EDIT: So, there you have it—155 billion cubic meters of gas. That’s the entire Russian import volume for a single year right there.
https://twitter.com/mark_lynas/statu...82300901900292

I’m feeling a little optimistic about this—but hey, it might actually work.

It's impossible. Not even close. We should have thought ahead instead of being this dependent on Russian gas. It's a total utopia to think you can replace that amount of energy immediately—it's a utopia even if you look two or three years down the road.

Gerald Chavez7 said:Fair enough...

But honestly, the way people exaggerate the role of Germany and the rest of Europe has reached mythic proportions at this point. Sure, the Germans didn't account for the possibility of Russian gas supplies being cut off—that was a bad call, poor projections, and maybe just getting too comfortable with the status quo. It was a mistake (driven by a craving for cheap energy), and now they're paying for it with massive utility bills.

What kind of energy? This isn't even about the cost anymore; it's about how you actually replace that massive volume of gas if Russia decides to shut off the tap. What's the fallback in the short term—and I mean the next 3 to 4 years?

Timothy Nelson5 said:Well, that same Germany is a nuclear power in practice, I suppose, since they have American nuclear weapons on their soil as part of NATO sharing. It's the same in Turkey... and I think Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands might still be in that same boat...

Also, back during the height of the Cold War, Germany had maybe 4,000 Leopards... and now? They've got maybe 100 operational ones left...

That would only be true if the German Chancellor had the unilateral authority to pull the trigger on those weapons. He doesn't. Which means it’s more accurate to say Germany is basically an American colony.

George Robinson43 said:Meanwhile, that other little gnome, Medved, keeps rambling on about his grand Eurasian Union stretching all the way from Lisbon to Vladivostok. 🙏 🙏

That was Hitler's exact ambition too, and they managed to stop him just outside Moscow.

Sam Alvarez4 said:Putin is hitting back. 😬

In retaliation for the sanctions, Russia is now restricting visas for citizens from certain "unfriendly" European Union nations, as well as for people from Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, and Iceland.

Russia imposes visa restrictions on citizens of 'unfriendly countries'

Also: following the events in Bucha, Macron is calling for even tougher sanctions against Russia.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that more sanctions on Russia were needed after Ukraine accused Russian forces of The Killing of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.

He won't be getting any sleep tonight worrying about those sanctions of his. 🤣

Besides, trying to economically corner a superpower and bleed it dry through sanctions usually ends badly. Just ask the people in Hawaii back in 1941.

Nancy Gomez26 said:I find it hard to believe that support for Putin is actually what the polls suggest. When every media outlet is under state control, how much weight can you really give to any survey? Even here in the States, before an election, we see endless polling; you can easily spot which side is driving the narrative. But over there, there is only one side holding the reins with an iron fist. You could easily publish results that run completely contrary to what the administration wants to hear. I wouldn't be surprised if public dissent climbs well past 100% eventually.
I don't take pleasure in seeing the masses suffer. In Russia, the leadership feels no pressure to "cater" to the public, because their grip on power doesn't rely on the will of the voters. Perhaps every nation deserves the government it gets, though that rule applies more inconsistently than one might think. That is why a population needs to react violently—to the very first signs of authoritarianism—before those tendencies become too deeply embedded in the ruling class.

Russia hasn't exactly had a history of democracy, so the people don't know any better. How are they supposed to revolt? Regardless, things are arguably a lot better under Putin than they were under Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Peter the Great, or the rest of that crew.

coastalbison6 said:Putin just confirmed it—starting tomorrow, they're only taking rubles for gas.

So now the Germans will gear up again and charge toward Moscow. This time, they won't even need to take Kyiv.

Kyle Nelson2 said:I honestly think this could escalate way further than any of us realize

☕

It’s absolutely possible, provided they don't get to the negotiating table soon enough.

Besides, even before his motorcade started rolling, Putin seemed incredibly on edge. Having a nervous man in control of a nuclear arsenal is a recipe for disaster.

The Americans are already salivating at the opportunity. 🤦

William Anderson5 said:And what exactly are we supposed to do if that lunatic actually triggers WW3? Is there anything we can even do at that point? Send him a psychiatrist?...

Stop poking the bear more than necessary. Is that really such a difficult concept to grasp? And yeah, by all means, send the psychiatrist if you can get one through the door.

I’d love to see you out on a street corner, playing the hero when you run into some massive, armed psycho staring you down. I bet all that bravado would vanish pretty quickly.

Joseph Clark37 said:It doesn't change much right now, since the Russian Black Sea Fleet is in the Black Sea and their Mediterranean fleet is in the Mediterranean. This move only really matters if there is a direct conflict between NATO and Russia. What would actually have an impact immediately is closing the straits to all Russian vessels, effectively cutting off their merchant ships...

Hardly irrelevant. They've essentially cut off Russia's southern maritime routes. For them, the Black Sea has become nothing more than a lake.

William Anderson5 said:Give me a break. Do you honestly believe nobody is going to take any action just because we might accidentally annoy the madman in Moscow? Are you people serious? Are we all supposed to be hostages to that bald guy's whims?

Look, this isn't some joke or a video game simulator. We are talking about WW3—the actual end of civilization here. What exactly is your problem? Everyone needs to cool off and get back to the negotiating table, period.

Sam Alvarez4 said:And will that actually get them Crimea and the Donbas back?

I was talking about Moldova. No one is getting Crimea back from Russia as long as they're sitting on a nuclear arsenal. As for those two new republics, maybe—but it's a long shot.

rowdytiger13 said:If that’s actually true, then the Sultan is quite the legend.

Even if he is still a dictator.

We could be looking at the opening salvos of WW3, yet here you are, celebrating 🤦like it's nothing
.
Turkey is a key NATO member, and frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if an agitated Putin tries to force his way through with his fleet. Once he does, just shut down your computer and find a bunker to hide in.

Hannah Williams8 said:If Russia manages to grab the southern border of Ukraine—meaning if they take Mariupol—and links up with Transnistria, then Moldova is absolutely screwed.
Wouldn't it be smart for them to ask for some EU troops on the ground before it's too late?

The smartest move would actually be to declare neutrality and rush an amendment into their constitution stating they will never join NATO.😁

What kind of nonsense is this "EU troops" idea?🙏

Twenty years ago, I would have dismissed this as just another mediocre flick. But looking at the absolute garbage Hollywood is churning out lately? This thing looks like a masterpiece 😁

slystag4 said:Was this specifically put together for Lauc and Bakica?

Fine, then make us laugh. Though honestly, catching up to these idiots is going to be an uphill battle.

bluepuma9 said:Hospitalizations in California have shot up by 330% over just the last two weeks. This is the same state where Omicron first popped up, and let's not forget they have some of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. They’re still pushing the narrative that cases are milder than previous variants, but if that's true, I don't get why people are flooding the hospitals at this rate.

Someone really ought to put together a compilation of all the moronic, half-baked articles published by news portals and daily papers over the last two years. 🤦

Jonathan Rogers2 said:I guess I was looking for a more sophisticated resolution than what I actually got, but unfortunately, that just wasn't happening.😁 😁

That wrench scene? Totally cringe-worthy. It felt like something straight out of an old movie from the last century—just uninspired and poorly executed... you'd never guess this was a 2020 film.🙂

...and I don't see how that's supposed to help the young cop at all, given the killer is still out there doing his thing. To me, that ending just didn't land at all.

Such a shame—with a cast this talented, I really expected something higher quality.🙂

So now we're looking at a whole new serial killer then.
😁

The guy gets killed, and the evidence proves he was the one. It isn't illogical or stupid at all.

EDIT: Besides, who's to say Jared Leto isn't a serial killer himself? That’s a very plausible angle. This movie might just be a bit too complex for you...

Jonathan Rogers2 said:S p o i l e r!

I didn't quite catch the ending—was I tripping? Did Denzel Washington buy that whole thing just to ease Rami Malek's conscience? And honestly, what does that even accomplish? If Leto isn't the culprit, then we still have a serial killer running loose out there 🙂 I just don't get it. That scene felt incredibly pretentious—and, frankly, a bit ridiculous...

For some reason, this movie snagged a Golden Globe nomination. Now, look, a GG isn't exactly the ultimate seal of quality, but this flick was so mediocre that seeing it even mentioned for a Golden Globe actually caught me off guard 😁

In the US, there are so many murders that it’s impossible to tell which pattern they’re using to link a crime to a serial killer. They kill one woman a year, yet 500 women go missing during that same period 😁

Just bury someone in a shallow grave, slap fifty or sixty other murders on their record, toss in a little planted evidence, and voilà—case closed.