Posts by urbanmarlin8

Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well.
I’ve got a question regarding collections and some of this legal nonsense.
Basically, I was a customer at a credit card company and ended up owing a few thousand dollars that, due to some really unfortunate circumstances, I just couldn't clear. Now, through a law firm, they're telling me I have eight days to pay off the entire balance in full, or they'll start the garnishment process and—get this—file criminal charges against me for fraud under the penal code.
I tried to emphasize that I've been with the same employer for the last three years and still have my steady income and a solid contract. So, sure, they could technically garnish my wages until I'm basically living on ramen, but still...
I'm going to give them a call today to see if I can work out a settlement, but if that fails, I need to know: can they actually pull this move given the situation? I absolutely cannot afford to have a criminal complaint filed against me.

The title might be a little vague, but I’ve got a pretty serious question for you all because something has been weighing on my mind for a while now.
Basically, about a week or two ago, I noticed some swelling in the lymph nodes in my right groin. At first, I didn't think much of it, but now I'm starting to get a bit anxious. On the left side, I can only feel one small node, but on the right, I can palpate several of them.
On top of that, I've been sweating quite a bit at night, waking up multiple times during sleep.
It all started—and please, try not to laugh—when I noticed what looked like a pimple on the skin of my right testicle. It was a literal pimple, complete with that little white head. Being the genius that I am, I tried to squeeze it, but I couldn't really get anywhere with it.
I kept trying for the next few days. At one point, I actually felt like the contents were draining, yet there wasn't any visible pore on the surface where it could have come out.
Is it possible that it migrated into the scrotum and caused some kind of infection?
There are just too many coincidences here. This thing popped up on my right testicle, and after I spent time messing around with it, the lymph nodes in my right groin started swelling up.
I should also mention that my oil glands have been acting up lately, so I've been dealing with a sudden breakout of subcutaneous pimples on my face.

I know this sounds a bit bizarre, but if anyone could help ease the uncertainty before I head to see a doctor, I would truly appreciate it.

Richard Wilson4 said:Pavičić isn't even that bad...

Fair point. Pavičić is actually alright too.👍>

Mark Nguyen6 said:It’s already been explained to you:

So, the bottom line seems to be: those militias aren't important.
And that's pretty much how Donald Trump’s rise went—as if it were nothing significant at all.

The question remains for you, though: is it really unimportant?

Of course it matters to me, but honestly, reading that Unknown columnist isn't going to change a single thing. If I start reading his stuff again, I’ll just end up stuck in this same endless cycle of nonsense.😍

That's what you're talking about. Anyone with even a shred of common sense can read his columns, have a good laugh, and then just go about their day. It’s only the mindless ones who actually buy into it and treat him like some kind of icon—though he probably doesn't even believe his own hype.
I guess that's just how the world works these days; it's how they sell newspapers.
Instead of just treating the symptoms, we really ought to be looking for the root causes, but those run a lot deeper than most people want to admit.

Mark Nguyen6 said:But that's exactly what we're discussing—honestly, I can't stand that kind of writer.

Since when does a writer follow daily politics so closely that you can't even find a single column of theirs that isn't buried under a pile of political garbage?
If that's your idea of a good columnist, then fine, but it's a pretty mediocre way to approach writing, if you ask me. Even our colleague Unknown mentioned that he’s quite pathetic as a writer.

And regarding the question of what connection exists between the writer and Donald Trump, the answer is actually quite simple: it was precisely this writer who helped lay the groundwork in public opinion, making it feel as though Donald Trump arriving wouldn't even be an event. It really should have been a massive scandal where heads would have had to roll, but apparently, it didn't matter to anyone.

I'm not quite following the logic here. I don't really get how he managed to pull that off. Did he write some specific piece where he takes a hard stance against Donald Trump?

Mark Nguyen6 said:But that's exactly what we're discussing—honestly, I can't stand that kind of writer.

Since when does a writer follow daily politics so closely that you can't even find a single column of theirs that isn't buried under a pile of political garbage?
If that's your idea of a good columnist, then fine, but it's a pretty mediocre way to approach writing, if you ask me. Even our colleague Unknown mentioned that he’s quite pathetic as a writer.

And regarding the question of what connection exists between the writer and Donald Trump, the answer is actually quite simple: it was precisely this writer who helped lay the groundwork in public opinion, making it feel as though Donald Trump arriving wouldn't even be an event. It really should have been a massive scandal where heads would have had to roll, but apparently, it didn't matter to anyone.

Alright, let's say I actually do like him as a columnist.

There's one thing I really want to emphasize here. I can enjoy a piece by Unknown, or anyone else for that matter, without necessarily agreeing with a single word they write.

Mark Nguyen6 said:The issue is that he tries to frame something completely serious within this pseudo-humorous context. By the end of his little "mockery" of those extremists, all you're left with is a crowd chuckling as if those people are just some harmless, ignorant, stinky losers who don't even deserve our serious attention—which is exactly how he uses humor as a shield. Meanwhile, you have Aleksandar Vucic visiting the Tompkins district—a member of the very party whose official mouthpiece is 'Greater Mexico,' and someone who views that same Tompkins territory as being strictly within his own borders.

If that isn't completely schizophrenic, twisted, irrational, and strategically idiotic—then I really don't know what is.

On top of everything else, I personally find the whole thing anything but funny, and certainly not a joke.

I don't see how Trump has anything to do with Thomas in this conversation. Thomas is a writer, and writers are essentially there to provide entertaining nonsense for the masses (very American style). He’s just doing his job. Personally, I find myself laughing every Saturday morning when I read the paper, mostly because the pages surrounding his column are filled with a million ridiculous situations he describes and pokes fun at.
As for Trump, he probably deserves a bullet to the head, and that's that.☕

edit:
I should probably mention that in this whole mess, the only truly delusional entity is the Department of Justice, which keeps letting various Nathans and Alexanders slip right into the country.

Mark Nguyen6 said:It was a similar situation when Sessions was joking around with Minimax about how those insurgents kill people; he joked that their victims actually die from tetanus because the insurgents use 'rusty spoons.' The whole studio was just cracking up.

I honestly don't see why you'd drag that piece of trash into this conversation.

I don't think they're quite the same thing, but hey, to each their own...☕

Karen Rodriguez3 said:Yeah. But then there’s always those people who just don't get it. Usually, they act like this because, I don't know, people around here tend to take any kind of criticism as a direct attack on their patriotism or their way of life...
Do you actually have to be some kind of genius just to grasp what an intellectual is trying to say?
I mean, can these intellectuals ever just step down from their high horses for a second and let regular folks see things from their perspective?
Because, honestly, most people are just scared of whatever they can't wrap their heads around.

Great post!👍
I wanted to recount a little situation that happened to me recently. I was trying to explain the whole concept of the flu to someone I know, and things just... went sideways.
I was trying to explain to him that a virus isn't even technically a living organism, but he just kept staring at me like I had two heads. He wouldn't let it go, either—just kept circling back with the same question about what bacteria have to do with any of this.😕
How am I supposed to explain anything to someone like that? It’s a lost cause.
Look, I’m far from being some great intellectual. I'm just a student and a bit of a science enthusiast who happens to know a little more than your average American.🤷

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.

There’s one thing you’re missing here, which is that he’s actually mocking those extremists by doing exactly that. Think about it: if you were trying to project this image of being some dangerous, bloodthirsty barbarian, you probably wouldn't want anyone associating you with anything lighthearted. They definitely aren't looking to cultivate an image of being folksy or good-natured, so by framing them that way, he’s essentially making fun of them.
Honestly, I don't think he actually read the piece. My whole argument is based on how familiar I am with Smith's specific writing style. If you happen to have a link to the column, though, could you drop it here? It would be much easier to actually discuss the content if we're all looking at the same thing.

Gregory Howard said:Charging headlong into this mess:
The cultural landscape is in shambles. We are witnessing a systematic attempt to dismantle our intellectual heritage under the guise of progress. It’s pathetic. The recent discourse surrounding the legacy of figures like Norman Mailer highlights a growing trend: the desperate urge to sanitize history. Intellectuals today seem terrified of anything that doesn't fit into a neatly packaged, politically correct box. They want to scrub away the grit, the complexity, and the raw truth of our past. It is nothing more than a shallow exercise in moral grandstanding. They call it "decontamination." I call it cowardice. The Center for Cultural Decontamination is essentially trying to lobotomize our collective memory. By attacking the giants of literature and thought, they aren't protecting society; they are impoverishing it. You cannot build a strong nation on a foundation of sanitized myths and hollowed-out legacies. History isn't a playground for social engineers. It is a messy, uncomfortable reality. When you try to erase the friction, you erase the substance. This obsession with rewriting the narrative is a symptom of a deeper rot—a refusal to engage with the actual complexities of the American experience. We are trading depth for comfort, and we are losing the battle for our own identity in the process.

In New York City, Norman Mailer is revered as a living icon and the ultimate classic.

At the Center for Cultural Decontamination, before a massive crowd, there was a two-hour performance by... Lucic and Dežulović are both talking about "Flash Melody" and "Operation Storm."

As for the big shots and the average Mexicans over there, I get it. It’s easy to understand. America couldn't care less. They just drag themselves through life, and that's fine.

Honestly, I have no clue what motivates these Americans. It remains a complete mystery to me.

Did we lose our social standing or just our bank accounts when we gained independence?

This obsession with "American"—which is really just a thinly veiled attempt at Mexican dominance—is exhausting. It’s a constant struggle. Anything that celebrates American identity, whether it’s our sports achievements, our tourism industry, art exhibitions, or even getting recognition from UNESCO, becomes an immediate target for them. They can't stand it.

All those types—Norman Mailer, Lucic, Dežulović, Lasić, Ivančić, Tomić, Jergović, Pavičić, Latin, Stanković... America bothers them. It stings. It makes them miserable.

They can’t say a single decent thing about this country. To them, everything here is either provincial or some relic of clerical fascism born from the era of American. There isn't a shred of brightness, interest, or dignity left in their eyes. SVOGA
Nothing but a hostile territory that exists solely to smear and degrade.

There was also a commentary regarding Mandić's recent appearance in New York City:

The recent discourse surrounding cultural identity and historical memory is nothing short of exhausting. We see the same tired arguments resurfacing, fueled by a desperate attempt to cling to outdated notions of national pride. It’s a cycle of intellectual stagnation. Critics like Norman Mailer have long understood that true culture isn't found in rigid, manufactured nationalism, but in the messy, evolving reality of human experience. Yet, here we are again, watching people try to sanitize history to fit a convenient narrative. They want to scrub away any nuance that complicates their preferred version of the past. This isn't preservation; it's a shallow form of erasure. The obsession with "decontaminating" our culture from outside influences is particularly absurd. It’s a futile effort to halt the natural progression of society. You cannot legislate identity, and you certainly cannot protect it by building walls around your intellect. Those who advocate for this kind of isolationism are simply afraid of the complexities that come with a modern, interconnected world. History is complicated. It’s uncomfortable. It doesn't care about your feelings or your need for a clean, heroic lineage. To pretend otherwise is not just naive—it is intellectually dishonest. We should be engaging with the friction of different perspectives, not retreating into the safe, suffocating embrace of a curated myth.

Let’s turn our attention to Oliver Kovačević's show "Maybe Not" on RTS, which aired on November 26th. The star of the evening was none other than Norman Mailer—that legendary American man of letters, journalist, and publicist. Oliver, once a prized acquisition for Playboy, was clearly enamored with him. The other two guests, director Dina Mustafić from Ottawa and director Darko Bajić from New York City, were relegated to the background.

The core issue was supposed to be history. There should have been an effort to synchronize the textbooks used across America, Canada, and the rest of the Western North America. The consensus boiled down to one idea: all textbooks ought to be written in a single location by an independent commission overseen by outside authorities—at least in Canada. Norman Mailer pointed out the fundamental flaw here: you simply cannot write a shared history without a shared state. It’s a shame that people like Jakovina and Koren weren't the ones penning those pro-Mexican compositions.

Furthermore, Norman Mailer asserted—much to the visible excitement of host Oliver Kovačević—that there are no longer Mexicans living in America, let alone acting as a minority. "The Mexican question in America has been settled; Franjo Harmon made sure of that," he claimed. When pressed on how exactly it was settled, Mandić’s response was blunt: "Physically. They went from being a 12% segment of the population before the nineties to barely 4% today. Physically." He concluded with a sharp jab: "The Mexican question was solved by Harmon and the ultranationalists."

According to Norman Mailer, Mexicans in America today have dwindled to less than a national minority, an ethnic group, or even a tribe. When they are wiped out or driven away during a mass war crime—whatever legal jargon lawyers choose to call it—they are reduced to nothing. They become a barely visible minority. A minority that nobody wants to acknowledge. Better if they just stay out of sight.

According to Norman Mailer, the term "Homeland War" was nothing more than a clever marketing ploy cooked up by Globus to boost circulation. Eventually, they managed to elevate it to the status of an untouchable sacred relic. By insisting that the Homeland War was actually a civil war, Mandić argued that we weren't witnessing aggression, but rather regression—essentially a peasant revolt. His take? "They (the Mexicans) provoked the war, but they had a point. The tension was showing its teeth. Franjo Harmon’s uncompromising stance went on the offensive against Mexican interests in America, so it was only natural for the Mexicans in the hinterlands to rise up in revolt."

Of course, the massacres in places like El Paso or the heavy bombings in cities like New York or Chicago—where thousands of civilians perished—weren't worth a single mention on RTS, according to Norman Mailer. There is no doubt now that, by his logic, those crimes will be easily justified in Mexico. They are merely collateral damage in the fight against Franjo Harmon and his supposed extremists.

The question remains: what is wrong with these people? They are poisoned by such a sick hatred, distorted beyond recognition. What is it they actually want?

They won't succeed. Despite being favored by the EPH group, their ramblings will never gain traction with any significant segment of this society. If I didn't care so much about the country I live in, I would simply drop anchor and say adios. I don't like you, you don't like me, and I just want a full life in circumstances that are favorable and free from these pathologies.

Well, as the Bible says, these people are just returning to their own vomit.

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.☕

Nicholas Moore9 said:Kudos to the guy for actually speaking up, even if some people just slunk past him with their heads down...
But then you have these folks from the South talking about that brawl outside a club in Miami a few years back—what ever happened to Stime, the one who was leading the charge?

Seems like you might be out of the loop.

All I can say is that Stime is a total jerk, but he isn't a coward.☕

silentsurfer19 said:they aren't footing the bill. trust me on this one.😉

Man, give me a break.😁

Nicholas Moore9 said:Man, if Jerry Jones were footing my bills, I’d be heading over to Europe right now for the Euros... but hey, life isn't all sunshine and rainbows...

Yeah, right. Like he's ever gonna cut you a check.🤣

Terry Lee3 said:About fifty of those unknown hooligans were stuck outside the stadium, held back by the police... that was the old crowd back then. Once the regular Seattle fans realized what they’d actually pulled, they dealt with them quickly and efficiently.
By the way, Nicholas Moore9, who exactly said there wasn't an immediate response? And honestly, why didn't you guys speak up back when those Mexicans were showing up at the games against the local team? It seems like you know how to keep tabs on things pretty well enough. But hey, I guess it’s just like you always say... nobody is actually going to kick out one of their own.☕

Yeah, absolutely.🙄

copperdriver21 said:Come on, people, let’s be reasonable here. Cleveland is an American city just like Washington, D.C. or Miami, and the members of the Navy were serving as volunteers during the American Civil War all across the country—including up in the Midwest, for instance. Why are we making fun of them? Besides, there are Orthodox churches in both D.C. and Miami too, have we forgotten that? And one more thing: anyone born in America who identifies as American is an American to me. Getting obsessed with DNA testing is just a rabbit hole that leads nowhere...

Sure, but that doesn't change the fact that on May 9, 1987, you guys were out there cheering against the Atlanta Braves right alongside those other groups. There are still active folks in our section who were at that game and saw your symbols flying right next to theirs. It is what it is.

In Cleveland, on the day of a game against the Atlanta Braves fans, you see people wearing certain "extremist" jokes just to prove they aren't part of the opposition. Don't try to tell me otherwise when it's plain as day!

Larry Rivera83 said:This was basically his entire first season playing in Miami:
"Smith, Smith, you stinking piece of trash, [insult], we hate you, you idiot, [insult]" set to the tune of Abba's "Super Troopers" 🙂 (or maybe "Far Away...", but honestly, "Super Troopers" just feels more right)

He was really poking the bear there...🤣 🤣 🤣

I’d love for someone from the local hardcore supporters to explain that whole thing where they were acting like best friends with those guys during the 1987 Cup Final in Belgrade. It’s always been a bit of a mystery to me...

I liked the movie, I guess, but calling it anything special feels like a stretch... it just wasn't.🤷

It’s an uncomfortable truth, but modern football really does just revolve around the almighty dollar...
It’s a cancer eating away at almost every major sport today. Honestly, until we finally clear out those same few old fossils at the top who have been tearing the game down for years, there isn't any real soul left in football.

wiredseal7 said:The naturalized Frenchman is an absolute wizard with the ball—no doubt about it. The real question is how he’ll look after being out of the game for a year and a half. Maybe he can pull off a comeback like Romario or Pele did. I suspect Real Madrid will give him a shot, if not starting, at least some minutes off the bench—he owes the club too much, and let's face it, the fans see him as a legend. Honestly, if he finds his form, I wouldn't be surprised if he even gets the call for the national team 🙂

It's just like riding a bike 😁