Posts by Anthony Wright30

Adam Allen85 said:So I guess life in Russia is just great if you're broke, huh?

Well, you’ve got plenty of oil and fuel to go around, and as for sustenance, maybe you just eat potatoes every single day, drink nothing but vodka, and cruise around in a Lada—that seems to be enough for some. I imagine those who are fond of Russia would probably argue that, really, what more could anyone possibly need from life?

Paul Sanders5 said:Putko wants everyone to just ditch NATO so his buddies over in Europe can run wild without any oversight.

Hit the Mexicans with sanctions too, just as a preemptive strike.☕

Perhaps we ought to reinstate the Warsaw Pact, if only to ensure the Russians no longer feel under threat.

One could argue things were more stable in Eastern Europe back then; what people seem to despise now might just be Western propaganda.

Where exactly will the dust settle after all this? Everyone seems to be in a state of total chaos. Americans, Russians, the Chinese... there aren't many players left on the board who actually hold any real leverage, I suppose.

Justin James10 said:Being a Yugoslav is worse than cancer, plain and simple. When it comes to what matters for our national identity, Mandić's lifelong body of work carries far more weight than that horde of self-proclaimed patriots who haven't achieved a single thing in their lives and would probably steal the silver right out of a church.

Mandić loved to push buttons; he was essentially an internet troll before the internet even existed, and honestly, you have to respect him for that.😁 Sure, he was a massive intellectual powerhouse, but let's face it—the internet is mostly just a place for mindless whining. Still, the comparison holds up. I’d bet anything that if there were some massive, ultra-nationalist regime in power, he would have been the very first person at the front lines provoking them, only to end up back in disgrace while half of the Republican Party was busy chanting for some king and the old homeland.☕

So, bottom line: don't do Mandić dirty.☕

Is that even debatable? I suspect about 99% of today's Republican Party consists of characters who are perfectly suited for any regime imaginable—people who are quite dull, lacking ambition, easily intimidated, and prone to sycophancy. Just look at these ministers and what they represent; things will only get worse. If you look at them now, you can see exactly who will be occupying the top positions tomorrow. 😲

The bureaucrats in Brussels seem like Teslas and Einsteins compared to these local types we deal with here in the States.

It’s quite difficult, I suppose; one simply cannot expect noble positions to be handed down to commoners.

Jacob Price95 said:And just look at how Plenkovics bursts with pride while jet engines roar overhead right in the middle of his press conference. Even a politician like Trump wouldn't pull a stunt this surreal. 🙏

It is perhaps a bit much to witness these two characters—one essentially acting as a glorified barista serving up coffee to elites, and the other just drifting aimlessly through the hallways of Brussels. 🙏

It really is quite a shame that we don't have any journalists of Kesić's caliber here in the States.

It’s a truly devastating situation if there are children involved and the mother simply loses her grip on reality. It feels incredibly heavy because you're fully aware of the deep psychological trauma being inflicted on those kids, yet somehow, the parent just doesn't seem to care. I suppose the same logic applies to men who blow up their marriages due to sheer stupidity, though I certainly don't mean to sound like a chauvinist by saying that.

boldbadger1 said:

Gojko Velicanstv Asks:
I was just scrolling through the threads and saw some talk about how the oil supplies have completely dried up over in Germany—which, honestly, sounds like the beginning of a very bleak movie. It’s wild how quickly things can spiral when the energy situation gets this shaky. 🙂

Will those local German types ever slim down? Honestly, who even cares—it doesn’t matter—because before you know it, two million Ukrainians will have flooded into Germany anyway.

Who’s going to step up and back this? Because let me tell you—if nobody puts their skin in the game, nothing is actually going to happen. It's all just talk until someone actually guarantees it. 🙂

Jose Lopez2 As stated by:
So, what exactly went down in Washington, D.C.? Honestly, I feel like I’m constantly playing catch-up with these headlines—it’s exhausting, really—but there was something happening over there that just didn't sit right with me. It’s one of those situations where you look at the news and think, "Wait, are we actually doing this?" It feels like everything is moving so fast lately, almost too fast to process without feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer chaos of it all. Just one thing after another... anyway, I'm curious if anyone else felt that same sense of unease about the whole situation.

I’ve been sitting here staring at my screen for a good twenty minutes, just trying to wrap my head around the sheer, unadulterated noise surrounding the recent Pride celebrations—and honestly, it feels like we're living through one of those endless cultural tug-of-wars that never seems to reach a truce. It's all anyone talks about lately, isn't it? Every news cycle, every social media feed, just constant, loud, polarized shouting matches. Look, I’m not one to get worked up over everything—heaven knows I try to keep a level head even when my blood starts simmering—but there's something about the way this whole thing is handled now that feels... I don't know, performative? It’s become this massive, sweeping spectacle that feels less like a grassroots movement for equality and more like a corporate branding exercise designed by some committee in a high-rise in Chicago. You see the big brands jumping on the bandwagon with their rainbow logos, and it just feels hollow—a little too polished, a little too calculated for my taste. Don't get me wrong, the core principle—the right to exist and be treated with basic dignity regardless of who you love—is something most reasonable people can get behind. But the way it’s being weaponized by both sides? It’s exhausting. On one hand, you have the activists pushing for ever-expanding definitions that leave half the country feeling alienated, and on the other, you have the reactionary crowd making everything a battlefield. It’s a mess. A complete, swirling vortex of identity politics that leaves very little room for actual, nuanced conversation. Sometimes I wonder if we've lost the ability to just... be. To coexist without turning every single aspect of our lives into a political statement or a battleground for "rights." I’m just an old soul, I suppose—maybe a bit too cynical for my own good—but watching the discourse spiral into these extreme, uncompromising camps makes me feel like we're drifting further away from any kind of common ground. It’s enough to make a man want to just turn off the TV and go for a long walk in the woods.

I happen to know who won't

Glory to Ukraine, I guess, but I’d certainly prefer to keep their women far away from me.

Jose Lopez2 said:What actually went down in Washington, D.C.?
I don't watch NBC that often, so I'm not really up to speed on this.

I've actually had the honor of knowing him personally.
Back when my old man had his radio, we used to get this crazy group of people together at our place. Sadly, they're all gone now... Mandić, Tončić, Kruno Prijatelj... That last guy was a real heavyweight, a member of the National Academy of Sciences. His only real flaw? Letting his daughter marry Jurica Pavičić.
Damir Tončič is easily the most overlooked scientist working out of San Francisco. Why does nobody seem to give him the credit he deserves?
Back in the day, that perivoj in San Francisco actually belonged to him. To honor his family's legacy, they even named a street after them in the city.
And finally, let's talk about Mandić. I just watched that interview... honestly, the guy was surprisingly laid back. He’s got zero filter, almost bordering on crazy, but in a compelling way. It’s pretty obvious he has a massive passion for fine food and wine. Is it just me, or does that kind of raw honesty actually make him more interesting?
Now that I’m getting older, I find myself valuing my inner circle even more. There's something to be said for surrounding yourself with people who actually get you. Why waste energy on anyone else?

Goran Milić was in Washington, D.C. with those guys from Tijarica who run those high-end restaurants.

I had this vague impression that you mentioned your relatives were actually quite successful in that industry, or perhaps I just conflated your restaurant recommendations with the idea that you have family living in Washington, D.C. 😁

quietcobra15 said:I find myself wondering whether we are truly witnessing the onset of a significant shortage, or if this is merely collective anxiety manifesting in real-time. Just recently, a young woman I know who works in retail mentioned that stores have begun stockpiling oils and flour in quantities reminiscent of those frantic days at the start of the pandemic. Then, only yesterday, an acquaintance told me that during his trip to the local grocery store, they had actually implemented a strict limit of just one liter of vegetable oil per customer. Is this phenomenon occurring across the entire country, or am I simply seeing isolated pockets of panic? For my part, I have no idea, though I must admit that a single liter of oil tends to last me nearly a year. 😁

As long as there is soy, everything is fine, I guess.

As far as I'm concerned, the whole pandemic era is well and truly behind us 😁

@duje3, I suppose these are your contacts at the news station over in Berlin?

wiredfalcon2 said:Lead the way, ☕

Sure, I suppose I am currently just enjoying my time soaking up the motherland's blue waters, though perhaps a recommendation for the rest of you wouldn't hurt either. 👍

I haven't been following this thread closely, though I do happen to hold that Leadership Course certificate. I suppose one might wonder what exactly you all need from me?

Amy Bennett said:Just another brainwashed, Americanized NPC.

The Americans were practically ready to drag the Poles into a war too, yet here you are, whining about pro-Putin sentiment.

It seems someone else is always at fault, isn't it?

Amy Bennett said:I'm struggling to see how any of this actually connects to my point about the aircraft.

By the way, it seems like the concept of sovereignty is pretty foreign to people like you. All you seem to care about is whether it's America or Russia calling the shots. It’s a pretty intense way of looking at things, if I do say so myself.

It seems that sovereignty is the only thing occupying your thoughts lately, which perhaps explains why you push these narratives about a unified Europe so relentlessly. I suppose you believe that such unity is the surest path to achieving sovereignty—though, if I may be so bold, I am somewhat unclear as to exactly who stands to benefit from it, as it certainly doesn't feel like it would be us. Perhaps this preoccupation is simply a way to mask a certain affinity for Putin, given that the current era is proving to be quite difficult for people like you.

Amy Bennett said:But hold on a second—who was the untouchable global hegemon until very recently? Whose unipolar order have we all been living under since the 90s?

We're Europeans. It feels like it should be about time for Europe to finally become sovereign, rather than just acting like someone else's errand girl.

Perhaps bringing back the Warsaw Pact wouldn't be the worst thing; things have been quite difficult across Eastern Europe from the 90s onward. Between the Czechs, the Poles, and the Baltic states, everyone seems to be practically gasping for freedom.

Amy Bennett said:A blow to whom, though? NATO? The Americans and the Britons have been nudging the Poles and other Eastern European nations to send planes into Ukraine, but once the Poles passed the buck back to the US—stating they’re willing to send aircraft to an American base in Germany so the US can handle the delivery to Ukraine—the Pentagon shot it down. They're saying nothing will happen because launching jets from American or NATO bases is too risky, yet they still maintain that sending planes directly from Poland is entirely up to Polish discretion.

I mean, hello? Poland is a NATO member too. It seems pretty obvious to anyone paying attention that the Americans and the Britons want to throw the Poles into the fire to test the waters—that way, they can distance themselves if Putin decides to retaliate.

Right, because it’s perfectly clear to every fool out there that some evil American is pulling all the strings, while the good Russian is busy saving the world from Nazis in Ukraine. They are quite clearly just liberating concentration camps around Kyiv.

nimbleranger52 said:Diesel in Germany is hitting $2.20 on the highway and up to $2.50 elsewhere

Goddammit! It’s not just going to be Russians and Ukrainians getting screwed; everyone in the European Union is about to feel the squeeze too...

Maybe you should head over to Russia, then; I hear things are quite affordable there.

casualskipper65 said:Just so you get a real sense of how much of a nightmare it is to reach safety from Ukraine—this young Ukrainian guy, who lives with cerebral palsy, just made it to the Czech Republic with his mom and his dog. It took him a little over an hour to get settled once he crossed, but the whole operation lasted four days. From the moment they left Biti Cerkva (which is about a hundred miles south of Kyiv) until they hit Vsetín in the Czech Republic, they were on the move for 60 hours straight. If you know it’s usually a 7 or 8-hour drive from the border to Vsetín, you can do the math on the rest of that hellish journey.

The kid is actually a para-athlete representing Ukraine in boccia (that’s a sport for people with disabilities, though it’s slightly different from the game most Americans know, even if there are some similarities). This whole thing was kicked off by some folks in the Czech Republic; they reached out to all the boccia players in Ukraine, promising to handle transport and housing. They had help from buddies in Poland (who provided a medical van to ferry him through Ukraine because nothing else is safe right now) and Slovakia (who picked him up at the border and drove him into the Czech Republic). While everyone was scrambling to figure out how to get him out of Ukraine and to the border, there were at least 50 people worldwide working behind the scenes. Some guy from New Zealand was even hunting down contacts inside Ukraine through his friends.

At the same time, they’re working on pulling out another teammate of his. That guy is from Nikopol, so things are a bit more complicated there, but based on the latest word, it looks like they’ll pull it off successfully too.

Both of them were actually supposed to be in Chicago at the start of April for an official international tournament we're hosting (it counts toward the world rankings, you know). Whether they’ll actually have the heart to come, I guess we'll see, but they’ve been invited to attend on our dime, even if they just come as guests.

Speaking of para-sports, probably nobody is paying attention, but the Winter Paralympics kicked off today. After the first day, leading the medal count is Ukraine, sitting pretty with 3 gold, 3 silver, and one bronze.

🙏

nimbleranger17 said:The mayor announced today that in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, there’s absolutely no running water, no electricity, and no heating left, and even food supplies are drying up fast. Meanwhile, the forces fighting against the Russians are practically begging for reinforcements, fearing they might lose hold of this strategically vital port city if they don't get help soon.

The Mariupol Massacre: 'We can't even begin to count the casualties, but we believe hundreds have perished'

I suppose they can only hope that God is watching over them.