Posts by brightpilot6

Jessica Gonzalez said:I suppose Trump really just tapped into the frustration of a huge chunk of the population, and he did it through economic messaging rather than pure ideology. The ideology is probably just the icing on the cake, but he won them over on the economy. Elections are essentially just a competition, and if the opposition doesn't offer enough to the people, they lose. You just have to convince enough people from different walks of life to check a box on a piece of paper. The underlying reason almost doesn't matter as long as you sell a story they want to believe. In that regard, Trump sold a very compelling story to voters in the Rust Belt. Those folks were left behind during the industrial shift, and there are quite a lot of them.

What kind of "economic message" are we talking about here? Some billionaire's version of "I'm loaded, so I'll make sure you're loaded too"?

How much naivety does one need to possess to believe that a capitalist—and I mean a heavy hitter of the highest order—actually intends to improve the lives of the working class? It’s almost absurd, isn't it? It would be like a steer choosing the butcher to decide its ultimate fate.

To be clear, I am not suggesting that Clinton was any better (though I certainly agree with Dennis Evans6 that I would much rather endure a polished sociopath than a crude, unrefined one), but I am pointing to the specific type of populism that Trump skillfully peddled to the American heartland.

Paul Sanders5 said:Exactly. We’ll end up with zero media coverage, simple as that. If they can’t pull their own weight financially, then let 'em go bust.

I've seen plenty of magazines fold over the years. They just weren't making enough money to stay afloat, so boom—game over. Key's turned in the lock. I'm betting a few more will follow that exact same path soon enough. 😁

Honestly, that’s the only way this works. Anything else is just a dead end. I remember reading the Washington Post back in the day—it went from being a legit, respected paper to basically becoming whatever mouthpiece the current administration needed it to be. Total sellout move.

I find this whole "just let the market decide" approach somewhat distasteful. On a purely theoretical level, sure, it sounds charming when you’re young, healthy, well-educated, or born into wealth—or when you possess a specific skillset that happens to make you successful in this particular moment in history (even though two hundred years ago, that same skill might have left you quite destitute). But what happens when you, or perhaps your children, find yourselves in a position where the market offers no mercy? Regardless of how much effort you put in, if the market turns its back, it turns its back. Would you still be so incredibly forgiving toward the market then? Is achieving market dominance truly such an ultimate goal and a definitive metric for worth? And if it is, who exactly decided we should all follow that standard?

When applied to media or culture, this mindset becomes even harder to wrap my head around, especially given the current landscape. If we "leave everything to the market," isn't it any wonder that news outlets have devolved into nothing more than glorified marketing playgrounds? You find yourself squinting through endless commercials for Walmart or Kroger, or wading through sensationalized reports designed solely for clickbait engagement. It’s why movies have become mere shallow eye candy—because the teenage demographic demands a very specific, low-effort type of entertainment—and why music sounds the way it does, catering to whatever trend keeps people dancing in a club. Even sports have been transformed into this sterile, commercialized spectacle where the primary objective is simply to ensure a family spends a hundred bucks on concessions at the stadium, all while barely knowing which players are actually on the field.

But sure, by all means, let's leave everything to the market.

Alex Brown50 said:Capitalism is basically a system where most people end up losing—and once enough people feel left behind, you get these right-wing populists popping up, promising everyone will win if we just purge the "sick" parts of society and the "traitors." Then they pick their scapegoats: the corrupt elite, bureaucrats, immigrants, minorities, women, LGBTQ+ folks, some globalist conspiracy, the Illuminati... whatever works. They call for even more cutthroat capitalism, claiming the "real Americans" need to "work and build," leaving no room for anyone perceived as weak. And then, predictably—mathematically, really—the "people" go downhill fast, and everyone acts shocked about why.

It's because that "out-of-touch" elite they hated was actually just a reflection of themselves. Honestly, in a lot of ways, the public can be worse than the elite. Even if political correctness feels fake or forced, and even if those sociopaths at the top ignore basic decency, holding onto certain civilized standards is still an achievement. Trump is technically part of the elite too, but he's the worst kind—the type that looks most like your average American.

Alex Brown50 said:Bravo, now that’s some top-tier intellect right there—reading "alternative news" to dodge all that liberal-Marxist propaganda. It’s that classic crowd—the supposed "salt of the earth"—who always blame their own struggles on giving too many rights to groups they deem "unproductive" or "entitled," while falling hook, line, and sinker for every tacky populist lie out there. Truly groundbreaking stuff. We haven't seen this level of genius in history before. Seriously, bravo. And once they actually try to act out those childish, mindless fantasies of superiority by picking some sociopath to play savior? Well, it’s usually just a fast track to total collapse and a whole lot of crying.

Look, political correctness can definitely feel hypocritical or even just plain absurd sometimes, but at its core, it’s a massive civilizational win—basically the glue holding modern society together. Whether we're talking about women, immigrants, minorities, or the LGBTQ+ community, it matters. Tearing that social fabric apart is going to backfire on everyone, especially the folks at the bottom, regardless of skin color or whatever else. This whole "just a regular guy who doesn't care about transgender issues because he just wants to work" routine? That’s either pure political illiteracy born from a total lack of empathy and imagination, or it's just good old-fashioned fascist instinct. Honestly, probably both. Sadly, the so-called "out-of-touch elite" is actually less dangerous than this "regular guy."

👍

It reminds me of the excitement surrounding those attempts to defund liberal media outlets. The idea being that now "we"—though this cheering crowd doesn't even consume those outlets, and most don't even know anyone who does—will finally be free from that "Soros-funded" burden. Suddenly, the supposedly God-fearing, traditional American will be able to flourish in an economic and lifestyle sweet spot somewhere between Scandinavia and Western Europe.

Just as we were all swept away by the glorious triumph of those various conservative ballot initiatives in years past.

It is truly incredible how much people cling to this new quasi-conservative paradigm. Everything is a grievance: political correctness is garbage (unless you call a conservative bigoted), liberals are either elitist snobs or weaklings, Darwinism is poisoning children in schools, someone else's misfortune is always their own fault, and minorities have been given far too many rights.

If this hadn't happened dozens of times throughout history, I might not say anything. It’s just that today, stupidity spreads like wildfire across the internet; whereas you used to need a bit of patience to listen to the radio or read a newspaper to form an opinion, now you see three memes and suddenly you think you have the blueprint for saving the world.

The current trends are certainly fascinating; the sheer frivolity and idiocy being pumped out by social media—working hand-in-hand with a traditional political establishment that seems to have driven itself straight into a dead end—are starting to yield significant and quite unexpected political outcomes. We see it everywhere, from the West Coast all the way through our own backyard. For the moment, everything remains within the realm of the predictable, but one has to wonder: what comes next? Surely, the power brokers behind the scenes aren't just going to sit idly by while the landscape shifts.

There was actually a much more legitimate reason to be terrified back when a fool like George W. Bush was chosen. Trump is just going to steer the ship the way he always does, so we can probably expect some minor skirmishes and perhaps a tighter cooperation with Russia to deal with China and the Taliban. I don't have much to say against this particular guy.

Their entire political system is fundamentally broken, and this is simply another inevitable symptom of that decay. As for who takes the reins next, I suspect Chelsea Clinton will eventually become our first female president, whether it happens before or after that jerk Bush family settles things.

Not quite. I’m watching all this hysteria unfold and I find myself struggling to believe it. Do you truly not realize how many people have fallen for these spins? It’s as if everyone expects total chaos to erupt, as if they don't see that Trump is an exceptionally pragmatic individual—and as if he, much like his distasteful opponent, doesn't emerge directly from the very heart of the American establishment—or perhaps they simply don't see how easily Americans can be hooked by any bait placed before them.

If the club ever actually manages to clean house and truly move past this era, the Dinamo fandom will find itself in a state similar to how an Arab nation might react if Israel were suddenly removed from the map.

You have the undeserving ultras fighting against those who don't deserve the title, everyone ganging up on the owner's loyalists, while simultaneously everyone joins forces to push away the casual supporters.

Alex Cook said:The "XY on the machines" setup actually kicked off when Fabrice Muamba ended up on the same 😬—honestly, one of those rare times a rabbit actually pulled off a bazinga, I guess...

I was digging around recently trying to find the first mention of the Tatta term, but it looks like Anderson scrubbed all those (according to his supposedly state-of-the-art servers) super heavy topics. What a total wipeout. 🙏

Right before the big game, Zapruder faced the ultimate setback—Dino Rađa was even a doubt to take the court because of a leg injury he picked up while training in Los Angeles. He did end up playing, but it was painfully obvious that this time, he was truly running on empty.

http://espn.com/basketball/news/891/basketball-news-and-updates/

May 19, 2000

Running on empty, truly running on empty☕

Thomas Brown25 said:Wait, was that whole "xy on the machines" thing originally from an American forum? I feel like I'm seeing it pop up everywhere across our usual online circles lately. 🤣

It’s pretty much a certainty, 🤣

You’ve come to the right place.

Anything less than about 14 inches of concrete for the base is just asking for trouble. You really don't want your friends or neighbors laughing at you when they show up for a game night, do you? If you're doing the floor, go with some heavy-duty rebar, maybe something in the 3/4 to 7/8 inch range.

As for the side walls, I’d make them at least 28 inches wide so someone can actually walk along them without feeling like they're balancing on a tightrope. You could go wider, but if you're watching your budget, stick to that 28-inch mark. For the height above the playing surface, aim for about 16 inches—which means about 32 inches from the ground up. And obviously, don't skimp on the rebar there either; use something around 3/8 to 1/2 inch.

So, looking at the math, you're looking at roughly 230 cubic feet for the walls and about 460 cubic feet for the floor, totaling around 700 cubic feet. That comes out to about 25 cubic yards of concrete, though you should probably order 30 since there’s always some spillage or uneven ground to account for.

A yard of concrete will run you about $133 plus tax, but please, don't just grab the cheapest mix available; you only build this thing once. Let's say $150 plus tax, so roughly $187 per yard. Multiply that by 30, add in your rebar and general construction supplies, and the whole project shouldn't top $10.

Patrick Martin is sharing some thoughts on the Euro over at ESPN, though he seems to have completely missed that specific PDF 😂

Robin Fox2 said:I know a certain sport you all seem obsessed with, which is taken quite seriously in exactly one country...🐔 😁

That’s true enough. But the thing is, in that country, nobody actually gives a damn about international tournaments in that sport, nor does anyone feel the need to brag about their successes on the global stage, even if they do happen to dominate every single time they play against a subpar team.☕

Casey White13 said:Good grief, the way people are overhyping this handball bronze medal is getting ridiculous. First there was that massive parade in Chicago 🙏 then that whole celebration in Phoenix 🙏 🙏 and now even local news stations are running commercials thanking the Cowboys. 🤣 🤣

Look, we've pulled four bronzes from the last six tournaments—but apparently, everyone's acting like we just won the Super Bowl or something. It’s all just hype and myth-making at this point. 🙏 🙏

Exactly. It’s hard to take the hype seriously when you realize this is a sport played at a high level in maybe a dozen countries globally.

There will apparently be some discussion regarding the Blackwood case as well...

It’ll likely be titled either Black Eye or House of Cards.😂

Jason Anderson4 said:Honestly, the absolute best part for me was when he completely played that guy, just straight up screwing him over while he was busy collecting signatures from the other dude 😂

😂

Word is there might even be a follow-up focusing on the second man, something like "The Spy Who Knew Too Much."😂

amberlynx0 said:The Antifascist network in Washington, D.C. pulls in 70,000 bucks a year from the government. 🤣

Let me guess, the head of the association is Saša Broz, isn't she? 🙏

Exactly what percentage of our tax dollars are we funneling into this obscure, far-reaching surveillance apparatus—an institution led by individuals who seem more preoccupied with their cocaine habits and political extremism than actual governance? And how can we account for leaders possessing such a staggering lack of common sense that they truly believe singing a song about pop culture in North America somehow triggers a massacre of mothers and children at a memorial?

mellowotter36 said:Look, calling people rioters is definitely stupid, or at least a terrible way to put it. But honestly? That Mexican priest in Washington, D.C. brought this on himself. Nobody forced him to sing those militia songs.

Perhaps that singer should be brought back to reality, whether through subtle persuasion or more direct means. I am not particularly familiar with his entire discography, so is this specific song really what he is being held accountable for?

If we label him an insurgent based solely on this one track, does that mean everyone shouting old nationalist slogans is automatically branded a fascist? I suspect that is the assumption, at least according to the logic used by protesters. Or what about those who, during rallies, enthusiastically sing along to various lighthearted tunes associated with that movement?

Are we expected to ban both types of expression, or just one?

stormyharbor13 said:Exactly.
The situation is that the Republican Party refuses to meet certain terms and pulls out on their own. Everything is basically settled with the Democratic Party, yet Bridge hasn't even signed yet because they're asking for a few more days to iron out the fine print.
Then yesterday, they fabricated that nonsense about recruitment, and suddenly, as soon as you mention it, everything is supposedly finalized with the Republican Party and the signatures are handed over—all while Kokošinda struggles to hide a smirk.
To be clear, it would be just as repulsive if they had chosen the Democratic Party in this same manner.

I couldn't agree more.

Robin Fox2 said:Back on Monday, when a Bridge-Democratic Party coalition seemed like a real possibility, nobody was raising an eyebrow or using harsh language...😬

They looked good to me a week ago when every option was on the table; they looked fine on Monday when the Democratic Party was the choice; they looked questionable yesterday once the GOP remained the focus; and honestly, they’ll look just as questionable today if we head to the polls again, though I suppose I still hold out a glimmer of hope for that scenario... They earned our vote, so they have the right to do as they please with it... We'll see in a year or two if we made a mistake at the ballot box, but there's no sense in tearing them down before they've even acted... we'll have plenty of time for that later...

Was it really Most that walked away from the GOP out of thin air, or did the GOP simply decide to retreat on their own? If we look at the actual sequence of events, what could Most have possibly been blamed for in that situation?

I think I’ll say it once more, because it bears repeating: people aren't actually that revolted by the choice itself, but rather by the way it was handled.

Robin Fox2 said:Oh, there’s definitely pressure coming from every direction. If these rumors hold water, we might see a few more people from the Democratic Party's faction of the Bridge exit tonight, which would mean heading back to the polls tomorrow...🤷

And what’s the issue? I’ll vote for the Bridge again, and even if they only snag one seat—who cares—it’s enough to secure a two-thirds majority for the Living Wall government...

They didn't disappoint me, though I suppose they should have just picked a side from the start—which was really their only viable move if they wanted to actually get anything done. They should have laid out their terms, set a deadline, demanded an answer, and then either moved forward or collapsed the Government and called for new elections...

What Petrov attempted by trying to play both sides within the Bridge itself was a complete non-starter; you simply cannot reconcile those two factions...

Exactly. Those idealistic spreadsheets were supposed to be the deciding factor, flaws and all, but once the GOP refused to touch local government reform (not to mention completely ignoring state-owned enterprise management, which was a massive campaign talking point for the Bridge party), everything just devolved into nonsense. At that moment, my respect for them plummeted, and there is absolutely no way I would trust them with my vote again today.

If they go ahead and form a government with Tomislav Karamarko, I wish them nothing but the best (which is to say, I wish the rest of us luck), but if the pressure is this intense now, you can bet it will be just as heavy once they are actually in power...

I really don't get the people obsessing over what a circus they managed to create; we've had a circus since this country was founded. It’s not as if they were tasked with showing us the true colors of our two main political parties—as if that hasn't been obvious for decades.