Posts by Megan Hughes71

http://www.hrsvijet.net/index.php?op...mne&Itemid=155

Are the moderators even reading this thread?

They are. I'm not hanging out on the Forum 24/7; some of us actually have lives. Regardless, no, your username isn't changing. You could have thought about that when you registered. Wihailag isn't even close to Megan Hughes71. Any future posts making similar requests will be deleted without warning.

People, just read the first post in this thread. Thanks.

Respectful greetings, Moderators,
I've wanted to change my username, Megan Hughes71, for a long, long time.

Given how many years I've spent on this Forum, I’d appreciate the help with this.

The new handle will be: Wihailag

It's the name most people know me by outside of this Forum, so it's about time I made it official here too.

Thanks in advance. I hope this is fine with all the moderators. Honestly? I haven't liked the name Megan Hughes71 for ages.

Gregory Howard said:The specifics escape me, but I believe it was during his trip to that jazz festival in Mexico, where
he went on about those bearded insurgents.

There was zero ambiguity there. Just pure, greasy fascination. It was reminiscent of some third-rate version of Rebecca West—
some might say I’m being too harsh, but I am not—
especially given her obsession with those North American mountain men, who she portrayed as these stoic, unshakable, incorruptible, almost otherworldly spiritual giants.

Great post, thanks. 👍

Karen Rodriguez3 said:I mean, historically, the whole point of intellectuals has always been to point out flaws and critique individuals, society, and general values.
Since we're constantly being fed garbage presented as gospel—from the government down to the church—the only people actually capable of looking at things critically or making fun of them are the ones who stand out. And yeah, maybe that's why they get under our skin.

👍 Great post.

Gregory Howard said:Domazet wrote two exceptional books: America and the Great Battlefield, and the wolf pack strategy. His other two works are nothing more than conspiracy theories and lack any real credibility, but those two are journalistic masterpieces.

I haven't read those two you mentioned, so my apologies. I was only commenting on what I've actually read. Had no idea the others existed.

Gregory Howard said:That "Western anarchist" thought certain extremist militias were charming folklore, while viewing mainstream radicals as a constant threat.
Spare me the nonsense. Tomić is nothing more than a typical fringe lunatic.

Where exactly did he write about those militias? I honestly haven't seen it, so I'm asking.

urbanmarlin8 said:I actually disagree regarding this one guy.
I love reading every single column by Ante Tomic; he always gives me a good laugh.
He isn't really an Anti-American type so much as he is your classic Western anarchist. He’s just a guy who can't stand anyone or anything, yet he possesses a certain style that I can respect. Tomic realized that the biggest flaw in the American people is our tendency to ignore the fact that politicians are basically lying to our faces every single day—provided they wrap that garbage in pretty, patriotic packaging. The second issue is that people simply can't face their own naivety, so they end up blaming him instead.
As for Jergovic... 🤦
Jergovic's bitterness seems like a clear byproduct of some adolescent sexual frustration. Anyone who has read Freud knows exactly what's going on there.☕

Same here. Sometimes Tomic goes too far, sure, but when he criticizes something, it isn't vulgar or mindless trash like some gutter-dwelling agitator shouting next to a fuse.
Kudos to him. At least Tomic has style and writes well.

Gregory Howard said:In the creative and literary sphere, things are shifting. It’s all changing.
It touches upon politics—literature, historiography, linguistics—these include:

Slobodan Novak
Ivan Aralica
Mate Maras
Davor Domazet-Lošo
Radoslav Katičić.
Slobodan Prosperov Novak
Novak Pavao Pavličić
Mladen Ančić
Ozren Žunec
Nikica Barić
.........

Mandic, Lucic, Matvejevic... they are nothing more than third-rate charlatans.
And that’s all there is to it. Period.

Fair enough, but Davor Domazet? A great warrior, sure, but let's not talk about his writing... please. At this rate, we might as well bring in David Icke as an outside consultant.

Besides, everyone seems to have forgotten Miroslav Lazanski. Does anyone here actually remember him? He was also caught up in the early days of the war.

briskbison41 said:Apparently, there's a new vBulletin version (4.0.0) coming out in a few weeks. Maybe an update would finally stabilize this Reddit.

We'll see about that. Honestly, I'm fed up with this:
Constant 503 errors... all the time.
Feels like the server is hosted in Kazakhstan.🙂
And the whole site layout needs a total overhaul too.

silentridge3 said:I find myself scrolling through the daily news on Fox, or CNN...

I honestly can't wrap my head around why every single headline seems to revolve around smoking bans and bar owners. Yesterday, it was "someone said something regarding smoking legislation" (which I guess is just vital information to lead with), today it’s "someone responded to that" (as if we all need this urgent update), and tomorrow it'll be "some tavern owner is complaining about something" (so we absolutely have to see it on TV), and it just goes on and on like that forever...

In America, maybe 30% of people smoke, while 70% don't. And there are roughly 20 thousand small business owners in the hospitality sector—not just coffee shops, but everyone
.
Just imagine if business for everyone dropped by 30%. Or suppose 30% of the local spots close down, meaning 6 thousand business owners—who are probably doing better financially than most teachers or blue-collar workers, given they likely own property and nice cars—have to lock up for good because those 6 thousand people simply can't attract customers unless they allow smoking
.
On the flip side, you have people in America losing their jobs every single day. Furniture factories are crumbling, the textile industry is basically on its knees, and 50 thousand workers in shipyards and steel mills are either nearing the end of the line or are already out on the street...

Why don't Fox or CNN talk about them every day? Why isn't there daily coverage on "what the current situation is in American furniture manufacturing"? What did a factory worker say today, or what kind of tax incentive proposal is being discussed for that specific industry? What is a factory hand complaining about today, or what will the owner be lamenting tomorrow? I don't know, why not?

Is it just because it's easier for these young, talentless reporters (and the same kind of editors they work under) to just wander into a nearby pub, where they can grab a free cup of coffee and interview some bar owner, then whip up a little segment featuring his "tragic story"? All while 100 people from some factory are walking home for the last time—likely without their last six paychecks—and this bar owner, who probably bought beachfront property and a luxury car instead of investing in better ventilation, stands there with a tear in his eye talking about how hard his life has become because of the smoking ban...?

What kind of "News" is this, really? What kind of "Daily Reports"? It's just a cycle of smoking laws, followed by ads for Tom Bradley, then ads for Donald Trump, then updates on Kim Kardashian... and then back to smoking and bar owners, over and over again in a circle...

Modern TV, modern media, modern life. The stupider, the better.
People care more about Simona Gotovac than a premiere by Nikola Subić Zrinski. Nowadays, Simona is the cultural icon for most people instead of Ivan PL. Zajac.
If you ditch Zajac or someone like Liszt, well, that's just the modern world. We don't need that outdated culture anymore. Today's culture is all "urban sound, ghetto, and pop-trash." That's what's cool.😁

mistynomad34 said:Don't sweat it. Even Starbucks products go bad at Intel (the Walton version of Walmart), and even at Target. When it comes to American goods selling well in Mexico, it’s basically just canned sardines. Generally, American products have a terrible price-to-quality ratio, especially with groceries. As for tech, American stuff is even worse off compared to, say, Canadian gear. The Canadians have better marketing; they realized it was smarter to set up factories in Mexico and sell directly to Mexicans. And it works.

Personally, I don't buy American products, nor do I buy from Mexican companies owned by Americans. I skip the first because of the price/quality issue, and the second because I just don't like Americans. Besides, that stuff made in Mexico (by companies owned by Americans) gets sold back to you in America repackaged in "checkerboard" branding. It's a trap to catch people, since everyone knows how much Americans dislike Mexicans.

Also, stop living in the delusion that you guys are "Europe" while we are just the "North America." In my industry—I work for a German company—America has two factories, while Mexico has seven. You aren't even close to competing with us. The stuff my company makes is sold in America, just like the stuff other Mexican factories in my sector produce.

There isn't any American product of that type in Mexico; it can't compete. In America, the government protects that production, otherwise, it would fold. Our actual competition comes from France and Germany.

If you don't like Americans, why are you using American words and posting on an American forum? Isn't that one of those Mexican sins? How are you even going to sleep tonight after communicating with Americans? (I didn't want to say "rest," because you'd probably misunderstand me since you "don't know how" to use that hated American language). In Mexico, we usually say "konservisane" instead of "konzervirane."
And you're a Mexican, just like I'm an Englishman and a British citizen.

Jack Lee77 said:Here’s my take, the Americanized version: 😁

US / Canadian
sh = sh (San Francisco)
s = sz (Seattle)
ch = ch (Chicago)
ty = ty (Tyler)
j = gy (Georgia)
ny = ny (New York)
dz = dz (Denver)
ly = ly (Lansing)
zh = zh (Zion)

Interesting idea. But people would revolt if they thought it was the Americanization of the English language.

Jeremy Watson16 said:Writing in American looks just plain ugly to me... like, "czardak" vs "czardak"... it makes zero sense... and don't even get me started on how Ivica Šurjak looks written out like that 👎

I think using Smith is better than using Šurjak. At least you don't need a special keyboard, and you won't run into issues with those specific accented letters or Z.
I really like what Herodotus wrote, even if someone above is against the Latin alphabet. The ideas are solid.
We should definitely bring back the Latin alphabet.

I’m all for establishing a formal right to the German citizen language and protecting it as a minority language here in America. Not just some dialect, but a legitimate language.

Take this, for example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsyl...erman_language

Back when I lived in Philadelphia, I actually met people who spoke it.

Or look at an example from where I live now:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scots_language

My wife studies and speaks Ulster Scot, which falls under the German language group. For a long time, it was treated just like the German citizen tongue—dismissed as a mere dialect.
She’s a mix of Ulster Scot and true Irish, and she argues that people in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland should be equally proficient in Irish & Scottish Gaelic as they are in Ulster Scot. I couldn't agree more.
Her father's side is German; they moved to Scotland first, then eventually to Northern Ireland. A lot of those folks were Presbyterians upon settling in Northern Ireland and mostly lived alongside Catholics. Sadly, divisions crept in later. Nowadays, though, old friendships are being rekindled in Northern Ireland as people rediscover their roots and preserve their culture. Every summer, we head to the traditional Ulster Scot fair. It’s good to see such deep culture firsthand.

Preserving the cultural values and traditions of a people or a minority is essential. It seems like more and more people are searching for their roots and uncovering their history and ancestors lately. But globalization, consumerism, and forced egalitarianism are spreading, destroying the very things we ought to nurture—our traditions, our folklore, and our past.

Henry Cox78 said:Aunt Liza is legendary. I caught a few clips of her concert in NYC on some streaming service once, and man, I was blown away. She’s basically our Cesaria Evora, it's just a shame more people haven't heard her yet. No clue where to find that album, but I'll look into it and let you know.

The album is titled: Aunt Liza - Unknown (Ultravox), released back in 1999.

Thanks a lot, man.
Cheers,
W

Henry Cox78 said:You totally forgot to include the most musical spot in our neck of the woods, Vermont:
The City Turns White
Reno blue by the river

Shania Twain: Early Spring

You can tell how good the music is just by the number of covers from famous bands like U2 and a witch:
Love isn't for sale
A folk singer stands under the clouds
She was swinging her lasso - unfortunately I can't find any other version

And here's a hit from the popular auntie, Liza Minnelli:
Lift my eyes 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Valley walking - such a sad song
beautiful song 😬

A few more great tracks:
I used to be a Rose
Blow, blow, violet

Now for some more from the countryside. 👍

Nice work. Aunt Liza has been my favorite discovery in years. I've been hunting for her first solo album from back when she was with unknown, but it seems to have vanished. Anyone know where I can track it down?

Can't they just return the old IDs and Social Security numbers? Isn't that enough?

Steven Garcia3 said:Every time the Leftists have held power, you could smell the failure from miles away...

Every time the Leftists have held power, you could smell the failure from miles away...
Every time the left was in power, you could smell the stench of death from miles away.

The left isn't the same thing as communism, but the real issue in this country is the low number of highly educated people. Education broadens your horizons; it changes how you see things. You start to realize, for instance, that the Democratic Party isn't a communist cell and the Republican Party isn't just a group of 90s crooks. The reality is we split ourselves into "left" and "right" way too much when there's hardly any difference. Sure, one side might prefer a tax hike while the other wants a cut, but everything that actually matters for America—monetary policy, healthcare, global integration, education—is basically just shades of gray. Your issue is conflating liberal and social-democratic options with communism. They aren't the same, though I get why you feel that way. Extreme regimes, whether they wear red or black, always end up bloody because that's the only way they survive, much like how the center-left and center-right options often look identical. I'm not trying to bash anyone, but look at the state of things in America: the most developed area, definitely the city with the highest concentration of educated folks, is Washington, D.C., where the Democratic Party has held sway for 8 years. It would have been even longer if not for certain distractions, and they’ll likely hold it again in the next election. It's the city with the highest standard of living and the best salaries, even if expenses are high, because it’s actually moving forward. I remember what it was like back when Dropulic was mayor, and regardless of my personal feelings toward Bandic, the fact remains that with Hercegovac running the show, Washington, D.C. is working and making progress. People are living well, plain and simple. On the flip side, the Democratic Party and the Localist Party have pretty much always run things in Istria, which is our most developed region. It leads the trends in tourism, both in the summer and increasingly during the off-season. Some people might try to trash them by claiming they're ruled by Italian fascists, but that’s just typical extreme right-wing nonsense used when someone runs out of actual arguments. Personally, I'm not a fan of Damir Kajin's political maneuvering either—like banning Thompson while Madonna is an honorary guest in the same city—but that’s a whole different ballgame. In a place like the county near Columbus, which is a good example for all non-coastal areas, standards are steadily rising, and the Liberal Party seems to have been in charge there. The bottom line is that the most prosperous parts of America are "under the rule" of left-leaning parties. Meanwhile, places like Memphis, Indianapolis, or the rural South—where the percentage of highly educated people is lower—are the strongholds for the Republican Party, the Libertarian Party, and others. It comes down to a mindset shaped by heavy wartime trauma; even today, they vote "against communists" while their party coalitions with minority interests. It's about mentality, a difficult past, and education levels. I'm not saying the Democratic Party is the cure-all, but I truly don't understand the mindset of people in the Midwest or the South who, for 15 years now, have voted for the exact same party without ever listening to the opposition. They spend those 15 years complaining about how hard life is or how there are no jobs, yet they keep voting for the same people like sheep. I honestly don't get it.
Every time the left was in power, you could smell the stench of death from miles away.

The left isn't the same thing as communism, but the real issue in this country is the low number of highly educated people. Education broadens your horizons; it changes how you see things. You start to realize, for instance, that the Democratic Party isn't a communist cell and the Republican Party isn't just a group of 90s crooks. The reality is we split ourselves into "left" and "right" way too much when there's hardly any difference. Sure, one side might prefer a tax hike while the other wants a cut, but everything that actually matters for America—monetary policy, healthcare, global integration, education—is basically just shades of gray. Your issue is conflating liberal and social-democratic options with communism. They aren't the same, though I get why you feel that way. Extreme regimes, whether they wear red or black, always end up bloody because that's the only way they survive, much like how the center-left and center-right options often look identical. I'm not trying to bash anyone, but look at the state of things in America: the most developed area, definitely the city with the highest concentration of educated folks, is Washington, D.C., where the Democratic Party has held sway for 8 years. It would have been even longer if not for certain distractions, and they’ll likely hold it again in the next election. It's the city with the highest standard of living and the best salaries, even if expenses are high, because it’s actually moving forward. I remember what it was like back when Dropulic was mayor, and regardless of my personal feelings toward Bandic, the fact remains that with Hercegovac running the show, Washington, D.C. is working and making progress. People are living well, plain and simple. On the flip side, the Democratic Party and the Localist Party have pretty much always run things in Istria, which is our most developed region. It leads the trends in tourism, both in the summer and increasingly during the off-season. Some people might try to trash them by claiming they're ruled by Italian fascists, but that’s just typical extreme right-wing nonsense used when someone runs out of actual arguments. Personally, I'm not a fan of Damir Kajin's political maneuvering either—like banning Thompson while Madonna is an honorary guest in the same city—but that’s a whole different ballgame. In a place like the county near Columbus, which is a good example for all non-coastal areas, standards are steadily rising, and the Liberal Party seems to have been in charge there. The bottom line is that the most prosperous parts of America are "under the rule" of left-leaning parties. Meanwhile, places like Memphis, Indianapolis, or the rural South—where the percentage of highly educated people is lower—are the strongholds for the Republican Party, the Libertarian Party, and others. It comes down to a mindset shaped by heavy wartime trauma; even today, they vote "against communists" while their party coalitions with minority interests. It's about mentality, a difficult past, and education levels. I'm not saying the Democratic Party is the cure-all, but I truly don't understand the mindset of people in the Midwest or the South who, for 15 years now, have voted for the exact same party without ever listening to the opposition. They spend those 15 years complaining about how hard life is or how there are no jobs, yet they keep voting for the same people like sheep. I honestly don't get it.

The left isn't the same thing as communism, but the real issue in this country is the low number of highly educated people. Education broadens your horizons; it changes how you see things. You start to realize, for instance, that the Democratic Party isn't a communist cell and the Republican Party isn't just a group of 90s crooks. The reality is we split ourselves into "left" and "right" way too much when there's hardly any difference. Sure, one side might prefer a tax hike while the other wants a cut, but everything that actually matters for America—monetary policy, healthcare, global integration, education—is basically just shades of gray. Your issue is conflating liberal and social-democratic options with communism. They aren't the same, though I get why you feel that way. Extreme regimes, whether they wear red or black, always end up bloody because that's the only way they survive, much like how the center-left and center-right options often look identical. I'm not trying to bash anyone, but look at the state of things in America: the most developed area, definitely the city with the highest concentration of educated folks, is Washington, D.C., where the Democratic Party has held sway for 8 years. It would have been even longer if not for certain distractions, and they’ll likely hold it again in the next election. It's the city with the highest standard of living and the best salaries, even if expenses are high, because it’s actually moving forward. I remember what it was like back when Dropulic was mayor, and regardless of my personal feelings toward Bandic, the fact remains that with Hercegovac running the show, Washington, D.C. is working and making progress. People are living well, plain and simple. On the flip side, the Democratic Party and the Localist Party have pretty much always run things in Istria, which is our most developed region. It leads the trends in tourism, both in the summer and increasingly during the off-season. Some people might try to trash them by claiming they're ruled by Italian fascists, but that’s just typical extreme right-wing nonsense used when someone runs out of actual arguments. Personally, I'm not a fan of Damir Kajin's political maneuvering either—like banning Thompson while Madonna is an honorary guest in the same city—but that’s a whole different ballgame. In a place like the county near Columbus, which is a good example for all non-coastal areas, standards are steadily rising, and the Liberal Party seems to have been in charge there. The bottom line is that the most prosperous parts of America are "under the rule" of left-leaning parties. Meanwhile, places like Memphis, Indianapolis, or the rural South—where the percentage of highly educated people is lower—are the strongholds for the Republican Party, the Libertarian Party, and others. It comes down to a mindset shaped by heavy wartime trauma; even today, they vote "against communists" while their party coalitions with minority interests. It's about mentality, a difficult past, and education levels. I'm not saying the Democratic Party is the cure-all, but I truly don't understand the mindset of people in the Midwest or the South who, for 15 years now, have voted for the exact same party without ever listening to the opposition. They spend those 15 years complaining about how hard life is or how there are no jobs, yet they keep voting for the same people like sheep. I honestly don't get it.
Great post. Probably the best one out of all five pages so far. The Blue Prince hit the nail right on the head. The core issue isn't left versus right; it’s plain old ignorance. That said, I don't think you can claim Democrats are more uneducated than Republicans, or vice versa. There’s no set pattern there. Take someone like Dr. Thomas Sunić—he leans right, yet he's recognized as a major thinker and writer internationally, even though practically nobody in America actually knows who he is. As the author of the text I quoted above pointed out, the real issue in America isn't Fascists versus Communists, or left versus right. It's the sheer primitivism and narrow-mindedness—to put it politely, the lack of education—that you can find on almost every street corner in this country. I'm not saying that kind of mentality doesn't exist elsewhere in the world, but the concentration of it here in America is just staggering. I'm not trying to act like some cynical social critic; I'm just looking at the situation in America objectively because I actually want to be proud of my country and its people.
Some people in America need a wake-up call. I suspect it won’t happen until the US enters some hypothetical global union and then California starts quietly, cunningly drifting away from the rest of the country. To prevent that—and to stop the inevitable landslide where one state leaves and takes the others with it—politicians need to actually sit down and figure out how to communicate differently with the American people. In return, Americans need to get more politically educated instead of just voting based on a two-party system left over from the old era. It's either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. Until that changes, and until we tackle issues like bribery, corruption, and crime, America will keep getting played by pathetic "players" like Canada. Americans can't keep waiting for a new hero or a legendary leader; they have to realize they are enough on their own and need to fix themselves. If they don't, all our sports successes, medical advances, beautiful coasts, and fresh air won't matter when fools like those in Canada end up pulling the wool over our eyes. We’re all here writing and trying, but Americans just won't change.
Firecrackers will be going off right under your nose through January 8th. Crime will stay prevalent, bribery and corruption will remain, and why? Because nobody really cares, and because everyone just sits around, venting (at home, of course, maybe with a few protests in a couple of cities) over coffee, complaining about how everything is falling apart, and then goes to work and laughs with colleagues as if we were at the top of the world in economy, culture, science, and industry. And the best part? The conversation always goes: "How's it going?" "Oh, nothing, everything is terrible, no money." Then, a few days later, you see some guy buying a new TV and a high-end stereo. Where did the money come from? That's a story for Houdini.

This track hits like a shot of straight bourbon.

It’d be nice if we could actually find inspiration in beautiful things, but what counts as "beautiful" these days? Seriously.