Posts by Gary Cooper3

Ethan Jones5 said:Good old American soccer☕

Regardless of whether you look at the lines on the pitch or just watch the replay, that disallowed goal for the Seattle Sounders looked completely clean to me. At this point, there's no use arguing about who's to blame.

So, I honestly don't get why people are posting these screenshots and acting all shocked now.

I’ll give you the lines—they matter—but I honestly can't wrap my head around anyone actually arguing this should have been a goal. Even if you ignore the technology and just watch any single camera angle, the frost is obvious. And we aren't talking about some marginal amount either...

There was slightly less frost during that Locomotive vs. Dinamo game, perhaps, but even then... it was still frost.

Donna Harris11 said:It’s probably not the first time that the Canadians have been the only ones in the European Union actually thinking clearly.
Sooner or later, everyone else is going to end up seeing things their way, I guess.

We need a truce, and we need it right now.

Look, I used to be a huge supporter of Orbán, but if we are being logical here—strictly logical—what he is pulling right now is nothing short of pure corruption.

He is making a blatant choice to side with the aggressor at this specific moment.
Advocating for an end to weapons shipments...
And then, simultaneously, you slap people with extra taxes and even hike unnecessary tariffs on airlines in massive amounts—why? Just so he can arm himself because there is a war nearby. And to top it all off, he reinstates a state of emergency.

Specifically, this whole "extra tax" business makes zero sense to me. Well, I understand the *reasoning*, but I truly don't see how any sane Canadian could support it. If World War III actually breaks out, Canada holds the most strategic position in Europe. Not to mention the sheer amount of money that will be bled away because—well, look at our own travelers—people won't even bother flying through Budapest anymore because they've loaded those airlines with additional fees. It is absolute madness...

And let us not forget that the Forint is currently sitting at its lowest levels in history.

Fine. Let’s just say the European Union stops sending weapons to Ukraine altogether. What happens in a week, two weeks, a month, or six months down the line?

I don't quite grasp what the European Union actually stands to gain from that. If Russia manages to seize half of Ukraine, energy prices are going to skyrocket—because Russia would essentially, and quite literally, hold the keys to every single resource Europe relies on.

And then you have Zoran Milanović—a man who practically fled the battlefield—advocating for surrender... well, that shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. I suspect most of the old Communist Party crowd back then—and yes, I'm including people like Andrej Plenković in that group—were all pushing for "peace" and total capitulation during the 90s too.

Bryan Booth82 said:The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has officially signed a decree prohibiting citizens from leaving the country with more than $10,000 in foreign currency, according to the Associated Press.

Lp

Personally, I am counting down the days until he finally realizes the sheer scale of the mess he's made—and then begins banning Telegram, WhatsApp, and all those other Western media platforms we know so well...

Gerald Chavez7 said:Sure, it hits the entire economy and every single person in it. The general population is getting hammered by the ruble's collapse—international travel costs have doubled (if they can even fly there at all), and the price of imported goods has skyrocketed.

As for how they'll adapt—the Embraer E-Jet was supposed to run on Pratt & Whitney engines, and I'm not exactly convinced their domestic engine development is going swimmingly...

While I enjoy a good joke about the ruble crashing, I should probably point out one crucial thing. A collapsing ruble primarily wreaks havoc on their trade capabilities.

The real question is how much Russia actually possesses to function as an autarky—you know, a nation capable of surviving entirely without imports or exports. I don't know the specifics, frankly, but my guess is they rely heavily on external sources for quite a bit.
In any case, the primary blow will come when the cost of goods—especially foreign products—spikes as a direct result of the currency devaluation. So, I’ll say it again—though I'm asking because I lack the granular details—it all hinges on just how self-sufficient they can truly be.

If they aren't, they face that all-too-familiar period of famine they tend to endure at least two or three times every century.

silverotter72 said:Maybe this will be a bit of an eye-opener for some people:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...y_GDP_(nominal)
Russia isn't even the 3rd, 4th, or 5th largest economy by GDP. It’s actually sitting at 11th. Even Italy—which is just a neighbor in our part of the world—has a larger GDP than all of Russia combined. ITALY!

"Russia might endure, but the European Union won't." 🤣

Within a month or two at most, Russia will likely see average wages comparable to the elites in Somalia, Ethiopia, or Eritrea...

When it comes to the actual GDP numbers, the situation is a bit more complicated—partly because Russia's GDP isn't strictly "bad," mostly due to the fact that wealth distribution there is among the absolute worst in the world...

But even looking strictly at GDP, Russia could very well become a nation facing starvation if it shifts toward total autarky—and it seems they are heading exactly in that direction...

briskbear51 said:Does everyone really have to start every single thought with "I'm not a fan of Russia, but..."?
🤦

I'm certainly no fan of Mom's side of things, though.

zeljko_ri As specified by:
Politics and sports—they really ought to stay in their own lanes... it's a concept that seems to be increasingly lost on everyone lately. 🕺

Oh, sure. Let’s all just play pretend—act like nothing is happening and everything is perfectly fine. It’s a brilliant strategy. Ukrainians won't be able to leave their own country anytime soon, let alone enjoy sports, culture, or any semblance of a normal life... yet we're supposedly supposed to let the aggressors and criminals enjoy a nice summer dip in the Atlantic right next to the refugees? If possible, of course...

I appreciate it. I’ll respect the decision then.

All I really wanted was an explanation—and now, finally, I have one.

Look, I’ve always been a bit of a skeptic when it came to the idea of censorship—never really thought it was an issue here—but this recent turn of events is frankly bizarre. I’ve had my fair share of warnings for breaking thread rules, and honestly, I can live with that... it's part of the game. But now? It seems our colleague ego is systematically scrubbing any posts that dare to present the actual facts of the profession, simply because the reality doesn't align with his specific preferences.

It’s strange behavior, truly... but I suppose if having a one-man echo chamber makes them feel secure, then who am I to judge?

Noah Diaz said:... and while we're at it, let's actually update the subforum rules—because apparently, people have lost all sense of how to communicate here. We need clarity on what kind of rhetoric is permitted, who is off-limits for quoting, and so on... 😁

Lately, I've noticed posts being scrubbed without even a single warning—specifically those attempting to expose Djikić as a fraud in his scientific capacity. So, if we're being honest, someone should probably write it down clearly: you aren't allowed to speak ill of him, Rudek, or Pokosin Švaler either.

But let's make sure that actually ends up in the official rules.

I didn't receive some warning or a slap on the wrist—no, I was hit with a direct ban from the coronavirus subforum.

My gut feeling? This whole thing kicked off once I started calling out Djikić and his endless stream of falsehoods. Every single one of my posts—even if they were strictly about that gentleman's claims—was wiped clean immediately. And now, it seems I’ve been tossed out of the subforum entirely...

Does anyone know how long these kinds of bans actually last? Or better yet, can someone provide an explanation? Did I actually insult someone? Or has the coronavirus become a literal religion where we aren't allowed to question our high priests—Djikan, Rudi, and their little inner circle?

vividstag6 said:Washington, D.C. I'm 36 years old, no other medical conditions—I’d consider myself a fairly healthy individual, actually. I don't smoke, I don't drink. My first bout was caught from a colleague; the symptoms were absolutely brutal, and the recovery was a long, drawn-out process... I’d say I'm still dealing with some lingering effects. The second time, thankfully, the symptoms were much milder—I attribute that to being vaccinated. That instance happened at a wedding, where a massive number of us ended up catching it. Both instances were officially confirmed via antigen and PCR testing. This virus is fundamentally different from the flu; I have no desire to ever relive that first experience... it completely leveled me.

Alright, but what if you get vaccinated?

Covid isn't going anywhere—over the next 40 years, you'll likely run into it at least a few more times.

If your plan is to spend the years between age 36 and 70 living in total self-isolation, then hey, far be it from me to judge. Just let other people live their lives however they choose.

And frankly, if you're genuinely terrified of Covid at 36 while being vaccinated, I might suggest seeing a doctor about some much deeper issues...

Amy Long5 said:The Germans kept things open as long as they could manage the tracking. They even called me once, and my test came back negative.

They tracked contacts while incidence stayed around 30-35. It worked fine until certain municipalities hit trouble and had to bring in the National Guard for assistance. They managed to push it to 50 or 70 in some places, but once it crossed that line, closures were inevitable.

And that Club was probably registered as a cafe, since nightclubs have been closed since last summer.

Well, obviously, but the connection to the restrictions didn't go much deeper than that Peter Pan sign at the entrance. It makes sense that the interior looked like a typical cafe, but then again, most clubs in Washington, D.C. function as cafes during the day.
But at night? It was pure classic chaos. Total madness.

The issue for me is this: you allow hundreds of these places to go absolutely wild at night without any oversight, yet during the day, I get lectured by some old ladies because I happen to be standing a yard away from them in a grocery store.

If we are going to violate every fundamental human right possible—if we are truly pivoting toward totalitarianism—then it should apply to everyone equally. It should be the same for all. That was the fundamental flaw of Nazism, too; it was disproportionately targeted at specific individuals. If Nazism had been directed at everyone, considering the current state of affairs, it's fairly obvious we would be spending the next 70 years building a regime rather than fostering freedom in America...

Amy Long5 said:I’m talking about contact tracing via an app.

The kind of app you’re required to have.

The app doesn't care who you were with.
Whether it was a mistress or a dealer. You’re just a number, and you stay a number until you test positive. Even then, once you go for a test, that's it.
Basically, if you test positive, you notify the app, and the app notifies everyone you were in contact with so they can get tested (which should be free by then).
But the app won't tell you exactly when that contact happened. If you were only with one person, you won't know who they are, and nobody else finds out either.

Only if you fail to get tested within 48 hours does the app send your ID and location to health authorities.

In reality, when you use a smartphone today, Google is already tracking you anyway.

The amount of data you'd be sharing is negligible compared to all the other apps out there.
If keeping cafes and shops open an extra week was the trade-off, that’s a small price to pay... especially if it saves even a single life.

As for your Peter Pan stunt, you could have been fined starting in October. It’s just that the owner wasn't obligated to check.

I have to ask: what was your motivation for writing down Peter Pan?

You could have caught it and never been notified if you were in a club with someone positive. Since you don't even live in Germany, the info wouldn't have mattered to you anyway. I don't see the logic. If no one infected had come forward, the owner would have tossed those sheets in the trash after three weeks and nobody would have known.

That is precisely why I have never, in my entire life, left my personal details when walking into a bar or a Club... and frankly, nothing has changed now.
Even when I head to Starbucks, I won't even give them my real name to scribble on a cup.

Personally, I find it absolutely staggering that Germany used to quite literally allow clubs to operate freely—to be perfectly honest—whereas today they are pivoting toward measures that make it feel as though the Gestapo is patrolling the streets, monitoring whether children are wearing masks and how they wear them.
Why such extremes? Personally, I was never a fan of open clubs except during the summer months (though, granted, it was still quite warm in September, even if autumn was already starting to peek through).

There is no way I could have been infected. Between the fact that I’ve already had COVID, and my general stance against those unreliable PCR tests—which I refuse to take unless absolutely forced to—it's a non-starter. I am not foolish enough to end up like that soccer player from Barcelona, testing positive 27 times in 27 weeks because of some dead virus.

Generally speaking, this pandemic would have wound down ages ago if people weren't so... well, let's just say "difficult"... and if people didn't insist on getting tested for every minor sniffle or slight symptom. I will state quite responsibly that we wouldn't have seen more than 100 total cases a day across Europe this summer if we had focused EXCLUSIVELY on the truly sick—and by that, I mean genuinely ill people (for the record, diarrhea is not a disease; pneumonia is a disease).

Amy Long5 said:Surveillance works incredibly well in places like South Korea or Singapore.

But you can't pull that off under German data privacy laws.

In Germany, they don't even have a unified social security number because those privacy laws make it impossible.

What actually happened in Germany was this: when you ate at a cafe or restaurant, you left your data behind. The owner was required to hold onto it for 21 days before disposing of it. Most people used an app for this, handled through QR codes.

What exactly do you mean by "tracing"?

By the way, that whole narrative about South Korea being successful because they weren't in lockdown—it was just another myth served up early on to suggest their low numbers were solely due to massive testing volumes.

Luxembourg, for instance, provides maybe ten times more free tests than South Korea does... so it's hard to argue that the testing alone accounts for such stellar results.
Some estimates suggest it reduced transmission by roughly 30%, which isn't exactly groundbreaking...

The only thing one could reasonably discuss is the low mortality rate, but even that is likely tied to the fact that Luxembourg possesses a world-class medical staff. Much like in Germany, for that matter.

When discussing mortality rates, people far too often overlook the quality of the medical professionals involved. You simply cannot compare outcomes when elderly patients are being treated by elite hospital teams versus less specialized staff.

On a side note—regarding a later post—that idea of contact tracing in German pubs is a complete joke. I was in a pub in New York City back in September—well, it was essentially a club with zero restrictions, really—and I made sure to write "Peter Pan" on the sign-in sheet. I'm certain my "tracking" was handled with extreme precision...

As I’ve already pointed out to this group, Macan and Djikic had an exchange where Djikic essentially went on the record admitting they intentionally manipulated the narrative during the early stages of the pandemic—all under the guise that "people were overreacting." It was the exact same logic used to justify lying about the mask shortage, claiming we just "didn't have enough" at the time...

So, it turns out that the blatant lies and manipulations coming from these scientists—these supposed "experts"—isn't some new conspiracy theory they've been hiding for years. I have the evidence to back it up, naturally.

But that brings us to the real dilemma when you're dealing with the very institutions you’re supposed to turn to for the truth: how on earth are you meant to distinguish between an intentional lie and a simple mistake?
How am I expected to trust anyone in Germany after they claimed that without a lockdown, 180,000 people outside of high-risk groups would perish? What possible purpose does a lie of that magnitude serve?...

Amy Long5 said:Please, just find where Merkel actually said 70-80% of the population would be infected. And do it without using some fake index or a twisted translation.

There is a massive difference between saying "it will happen" and saying "if we don't take action, it COULD reach."

And there's also a difference between 60-70% and 70-80%.

But that's how news gets reported, I suppose.
Didn't you report me once because I got a fact wrong?

So, what happens now?

You missed the mark yourself...

https://www.nytimes.com/politics/germany-news.html

I have no qualms about admitting that I’ve been played—so, because of that, I am going to lay it all out here:
The latest report from the New York Post—which, frankly, I find to be predictably sensationalist—is making quite a stir regarding the current political climate here in the States. They are digging deep into the recent policy shifts, attempting to paint a picture of chaos that feels more like a scripted drama than actual governance. It’s the usual fare: high-octane headlines designed to trigger an immediate emotional response before you've even had your first cup of coffee... One can't help but notice how the media cycle continues to feed on its own tail. The article attempts to link several disparate legislative movements as if they were part of some grand, coordinated scheme, rather than what they actually are—a messy, often incoherent scramble for relevance by various factions in D.C. It's almost impressive, in a cynical sort of way, how they manage to weave such a convoluted narrative out of thin air... I suppose if you're looking for a reason to feel outraged about the direction of our national institutions, this provides plenty of fuel. But for those of us who prefer to look at the data—the actual, verifiable substance behind the rhetoric—it all starts to look a bit hollow. It’s less about informing the public and more about maintaining a state of perpetual agitation... which, given the current landscape, seems to be working perfectly fine for them.

To be fair to Index—though their headline was a bit much—they’re essentially pulling the same kind of clickbait tactics you see from the New York Post. The headline itself implies one thing, which is exactly what they want you to think... but if you actually take the time to read the article, the substance is something else entirely.

It doesn't matter—the fundamental point remains that trying to scare people into submission through lockdowns doesn't actually change the underlying reality... It’s the same old playbook: "If we don't shut everything down, everyone will get infected," followed by the inevitable claim that millions will perish—assuming, of course, you factor in anyone over the age of 60 into those grim projections. To me, it all feels like nothing more than a collection of terrifying falsehoods...

What scares me most is this relentless intimidation regarding the mortality rates of the virus. To be perfectly blunt—they still haven’t produced any serious, definitive assessments of the actual death toll... nobody has, really, save perhaps the top-tier epidemiologists over at Stanford. But apparently, those geniuses at Stanford—the very same people who demonstrated that these extreme measures were largely pointless—are being completely ignored by the masses...

By the way, it seems even in places like Delaware they have their own local handymen specializing in this sort of thing:

Epidemiologist Andrej Trampuž—who is currently working at the Charite clinic in Berlin—warned during an interview with CBS last night that now is absolutely not the time to relax our restrictions... rather, we should be tightening them—especially given the presence of that new South African coronavirus strain that has already spread through Austria, posing a significant risk of moving into neighboring countries, including the US...

I wonder what kind of diet they're on over in Germany?

As a side note, over in the States, eating a greasy breakfast burrito while walking down a busy street is strictly forbidden—just to give you a little hint as to what "tightening the measures" might actually look like in practice. The mere thought of it is enough to make me uneasy...

Amy Long5 said:Can you share the link? I haven't seen that yet..

Ugh, I can pull some screenshots together—I can make them myself if needed—but honestly, the easiest thing would be for you to just head over to Macan's LinkedIn profile; that's where he was going back and forth with him.

Macan was being called out by Djikica, who basically popped up out of nowhere, and then Macan started hitting him with all those nonsense arguments he made at the start—like claiming this was somehow a milder illness than the flu, which he’s insisted on multiple times alongside Rudan...

I might be able to grab those screenshots later tonight, but right now, things are a bit too hectic...

If it's true that 180,000 people died without any lockdowns, I'll have to dig through some German news outlets to verify that. Though, I find it hard to believe there was actual manipulation involved... purely because the "zero-covid" and "no-covid" crowds are just delusional groups who genuinely believe a virus can be wiped out entirely.