Offside (General Discussion)

Anthony Wright30 said:@duje3, I suppose these are your contacts at the news station over in Berlin?

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

hiddencyclist112 said:A final farewell to my favorite American tyrant. Honestly, Mandić is going to feel your absence!

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

loneseal said:I was reading through that mess earlier and apparently even Germany has run completely out of oil. 🙂

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

loneseal said:Elon Musk has total amnesia, acting like those guys back in the day who suddenly forgot everything that went down in the summer of '95.

We should never teach children to harbor hatred from the moment they can walk. He is far too young to recall these events; perhaps he wasn't even born until after the war ended. His response clearly demonstrates that he fails to grasp the core of the issue. Then again, perhaps they educate their youth differently in Mostar. I come from a family where we never nurtured animosity toward others; throughout our professional and private lives, we conducted business with both Mexicans and Muslims alike. However, within our inner circle, our identity was always distinct. Despite the forced political narratives of Yugoslavism and Communism, my family always held Communism in contempt. We identified ourselves as Americans, thinking in those terms, but we never engaged in the primitive behavior of chest-thumping or bragging about it. We attended church regularly, regardless of which factions were monitoring attendance, though I must emphasize that we never faced any trouble for doing so. Our worldview was oriented toward the West, embracing Western trends while maintaining a deep disdain for anything emanating from the East. My family remained insulated from Communist and Yugoslav propaganda, waiting for better times so that we wouldn't lose sight of who we are and what sets us apart from those from the East. That is how I was raised. The only difference is that the war broke out during my lifetime, and when you are a child old enough to absorb all of this, those images of conflict feed you nothing but hatred. Despite all of that, I would never want my own potential children to grow up harboring hatred toward the Eastern hordes and their brothers from the Far East.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anthony Wright30 said:Goran Milić was in Washington, D.C. with those guys from Tijarica who run those high-end restaurants.

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

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

About 90% of Tijarica is based in Washington, D.C., and a huge chunk of them work in hospitality.
All of bađin's uncles, just like him, run great restaurants—except this one is always in the top 20 in Washington, D.C., right in a prime spot near Tegel.

I’m heading back there next Sunday, assuming everything goes smoothly and EasyJet doesn't cancel my flight.

I feel the need to offer him my praise once more. My respect goes out to him and all the other Ukrainian professional athletes who walked away from their comfort and luxury just to join the defense of their nation...

Kyle Campbell4 said:We should never teach children to harbor hatred from the moment they can walk. He is far too young to recall these events; perhaps he wasn't even born until after the war ended. His response clearly demonstrates that he fails to grasp the core of the issue. Then again, perhaps they educate their youth differently in Mostar. I come from a family where we never nurtured animosity toward others; throughout our professional and private lives, we conducted business with both Mexicans and Muslims alike. However, within our inner circle, our identity was always distinct. Despite the forced political narratives of Yugoslavism and Communism, my family always held Communism in contempt. We identified ourselves as Americans, thinking in those terms, but we never engaged in the primitive behavior of chest-thumping or bragging about it. We attended church regularly, regardless of which factions were monitoring attendance, though I must emphasize that we never faced any trouble for doing so. Our worldview was oriented toward the West, embracing Western trends while maintaining a deep disdain for anything emanating from the East. My family remained insulated from Communist and Yugoslav propaganda, waiting for better times so that we wouldn't lose sight of who we are and what sets us apart from those from the East. That is how I was raised. The only difference is that the war broke out during my lifetime, and when you are a child old enough to absorb all of this, those images of conflict feed you nothing but hatred. Despite all of that, I would never want my own potential children to grow up harboring hatred toward the Eastern hordes and their brothers from the Far East.

I agree...☕

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

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

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

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

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

Did you guys catch the sound of those Rafales flying over last night?

This whole little affair between Babojebac and Plenki is getting a bit out of hand—it's honestly quite much
We could have already secured an agreement with Italy or Canada to provide us with airspace protection

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ay-2022-03-15/

I can't help but wonder if this will actually come to fruition...

boldbadger1 said:

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

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

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

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

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

I happen to know who won't

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

Kyle Campbell4 said:We should never teach children to harbor hatred from the moment they can walk. He is far too young to recall these events; perhaps he wasn't even born until after the war ended. His response clearly demonstrates that he fails to grasp the core of the issue. Then again, perhaps they educate their youth differently in Mostar. I come from a family where we never nurtured animosity toward others; throughout our professional and private lives, we conducted business with both Mexicans and Muslims alike. However, within our inner circle, our identity was always distinct. Despite the forced political narratives of Yugoslavism and Communism, my family always held Communism in contempt. We identified ourselves as Americans, thinking in those terms, but we never engaged in the primitive behavior of chest-thumping or bragging about it. We attended church regularly, regardless of which factions were monitoring attendance, though I must emphasize that we never faced any trouble for doing so. Our worldview was oriented toward the West, embracing Western trends while maintaining a deep disdain for anything emanating from the East. My family remained insulated from Communist and Yugoslav propaganda, waiting for better times so that we wouldn't lose sight of who we are and what sets us apart from those from the East. That is how I was raised. The only difference is that the war broke out during my lifetime, and when you are a child old enough to absorb all of this, those images of conflict feed you nothing but hatred. Despite all of that, I would never want my own potential children to grow up harboring hatred toward the Eastern hordes and their brothers from the Far East.

The real issue here is that more than half this "tough guy" crowd has a straight-up communist mindset. This thread is basically the perfect litmus test—nothing else really matters.

You’re trying to separate national identity from hating communism, but you've got it totally wrong. Most of these people are "patriotic" only in terms of their roots, but they're still stuck in a communist headspace. They claim to be against communism because that's what the mainstream narrative demands now, but deep down? Their whole vibe is pure Red.

Matthew Collins20 said:Did you guys catch the sound of those Rafales flying over last night?

Yesterday afternoon, I distinctly heard what sounded like at least one—if not several—fighter jets screaming across the sky over New York City, though I simply couldn't tell from the acoustics alone which specific models were passing through.😁

Yesterday, the spokesperson for The White House made Russia's intentions crystal clear
The goal is to seize all major cities in Ukraine—while simultaneously expressing this pre-emptive "regret" regarding the inevitable civilian casualties during such an operation.
Isn't it a bit childish to broadcast your strategic plans like that—effectively mobilizing your opponent—or is this just another Russian tactic to terrorize civilians living in big cities?
I certainly don't think the spokesperson's decision to leak those plans constitutes treason.

quietcobra15 said:Yesterday afternoon, I distinctly heard what sounded like at least one—if not several—fighter jets screaming across the sky over New York City, though I simply couldn't tell from the acoustics alone which specific models were passing through.😁

Jägermeister-Regiment

Carl Hernandez3 said:Yesterday, the spokesperson for The White House made Russia's intentions crystal clear
The goal is to seize all major cities in Ukraine—while simultaneously expressing this pre-emptive "regret" regarding the inevitable civilian casualties during such an operation.
Isn't it a bit childish to broadcast your strategic plans like that—effectively mobilizing your opponent—or is this just another Russian tactic to terrorize civilians living in big cities?
I certainly don't think the spokesperson's decision to leak those plans constitutes treason.

Intimidation and urban warfare are incredibly bloody and expensive endeavors—both in terms of hardware and the sheer loss of human life. Why go through all that trouble if you can simply scare off and scatter a good portion of your enemy? I still find the relatively low number of Ukrainian soldiers puzzling. 🤔 Well, not everyone can just run away; someone has to stay and fight if they believe victory is possible. The Russians have hit some roadblocks, but they still hold the upper hand and are ruthless enough to level entire cities. You can't simply respond to that by suggesting everyone should just evacuate.

Similarly, Americans are seeing forecasts suggesting the Russian war machine will simply crumble within three to four weeks. They act as if they’ve been frozen in the 1980s. I can only imagine the sheer mockery echoing through the halls of The White House or the command centers, especially since every move is being monitored from above, leaving them unable to escape the blatant incompetence of the Rus. In the meantime, some high-ranking official from military intelligence has met his end. Yesterday, the defenders of Mariupolj performed a feat of pure heroism. They repelled constant enemy assaults all day long. Right now, those people are facing the most brutal conditions in all of Europe, including the rest of Ukraine. Nowhere else is the shelling as relentless as it is in Mariupolj, where the enemy tries to seize the city day after day. The city itself is nothing but rubble.

Kyle Campbell4 said:Similarly, Americans are seeing forecasts suggesting the Russian war machine will simply crumble within three to four weeks. They act as if they’ve been frozen in the 1980s. I can only imagine the sheer mockery echoing through the halls of The White House or the command centers, especially since every move is being monitored from above, leaving them unable to escape the blatant incompetence of the Rus. In the meantime, some high-ranking official from military intelligence has met his end. Yesterday, the defenders of Mariupolj performed a feat of pure heroism. They repelled constant enemy assaults all day long. Right now, those people are facing the most brutal conditions in all of Europe, including the rest of Ukraine. Nowhere else is the shelling as relentless as it is in Mariupolj, where the enemy tries to seize the city day after day. The city itself is nothing but rubble.

Kharkiv also looks like a wasteland; I would argue those two cities have suffered the worst fate of any location so far.

Justin James10 said:Intimidation and urban warfare are incredibly bloody and expensive endeavors—both in terms of hardware and the sheer loss of human life. Why go through all that trouble if you can simply scare off and scatter a good portion of your enemy? I still find the relatively low number of Ukrainian soldiers puzzling. 🤔 Well, not everyone can just run away; someone has to stay and fight if they believe victory is possible. The Russians have hit some roadblocks, but they still hold the upper hand and are ruthless enough to level entire cities. You can't simply respond to that by suggesting everyone should just evacuate.

The real issue here is that volunteers and mobilized troops simply can't get to the front lines where the fighting is most intense in high enough numbers.
Plus, most people just aren't trained for those kinds of raids against Russian supply lines or isolated, smaller units.

Basically, people with standard training can hold down a city—and the more skilled ones among them might join specialized teams led by professionals to pull off some minor counterattacks—but they just aren't equipped for anything more advanced than that.

Justin James10 said:Intimidation and urban warfare are incredibly bloody and expensive endeavors—both in terms of hardware and the sheer loss of human life. Why go through all that trouble if you can simply scare off and scatter a good portion of your enemy? I still find the relatively low number of Ukrainian soldiers puzzling. 🤔 Well, not everyone can just run away; someone has to stay and fight if they believe victory is possible. The Russians have hit some roadblocks, but they still hold the upper hand and are ruthless enough to level entire cities. You can't simply respond to that by suggesting everyone should just evacuate.

The vast majority who fled were women and children, and my impression is that their numbers are actually quite substantial. On the contrary, I believe the defenders are fueled by a fierce patriotism and national fervor reminiscent of our own veterans from the early 90s—a factor the Russians clearly failed to account for. That is precisely why they have stalled near the major cities. There is also a significant number of civilians who have taken up arms to participate in the defense. If the Russians launch a full-scale assault on Kyiv, it will be a total slaughterhouse. The city has been transformed into a fortress where they will fight for every single street and building. Meanwhile, Mariupol is being crushed daily by whatever means they have at their disposal, yet they cannot break the defenders despite the city being completely surrounded. They will hold out as long as they have ammunition. Just imagine trying to conquer a city like Kyiv. Midget is already counting on Chinese assistance regarding armor and projectiles. They are utterly unprepared for a protracted, bloody war that incurs such massive daily costs.