I'm a composer and anti-fascist from Warsaw who moved to Berlin during World War II

Regarding that whole "hello" situation—my old friend, an American veteran who served in the 10th Mountain Division, actually got lectured by some bureaucrat for saying "good morning" instead of using the "correct" greeting. 😁

It’s funny how some people can turn absolutely anything into a complete circus.

Andrew Hill3 said:And yeah, those old songs used to really get the crowd going. Everyone was shouting slogans and calling for the total elimination of their enemies. I wasn't super plugged into all the music coming out after that period, mostly because I spent more time dealing with blackouts than actually having electricity. I’m talking maybe eight hours of power every few months, nothing close to that steady 150 kilowatts you see today. Sounds like you were living the high life back then, huh?

Man, you're totally missing the point here.

Listen, you can run a radio off a car battery, man. You could even rig something up using phone voltage, a bicycle dynamo, or just some basic DIY tinkering with spoons and faucets if you had to. There's always a way to make things work. Besides, in the early days, there was still actual power running through much of the country.

Now you're nitpicking about specific songs. I gave you plenty of examples—bringing up classic singers and stuff—but none of that changes what was said in that interview. It's irrelevant.

One guy can walk around town acting like he led the charge, while the other gets honorary doctorates and tours the world from Brazil to Italy, Sweden, and the USA... so you tell me who the real legend is.
Seriously, you've got world-class orchestras performing traditional folk melodies, and yet you guys are stuck obsessing over one vulgar phrase someone muttered.

briskhound33 said:What if we phrased it like this? "I refuse to let any government exploit me for their own agendas."

What a massive moral high ground to take. Seriously. 🤣

He just doesn't want to be used. 🤣

But I have to ask—what specific purposes are we even talking about here? 🙂

Andrew Hill3 said:It’s honestly wild how easily people with zero common sense manage to turn absolutely everything into a complete joke.

And let's be real, there are way too many of them out there. Just look around you.

Andrew Hill3 said:What an absolute saint, seriously. 🤣

The guy just doesn't want people taking advantage of him, you know? 🤣

But honestly, what's the actual point of all that, if you ask me? 🙂

I mean, look, the man stayed quiet through the whole war, just kept his head down and did his own thing, making a living selling cigarettes all over the world. And now he can go ahead and play his music in Mexico City, Chicago, or Ottawa (assuming they'll even let him play there).

Look, honestly, I couldn't care less about his fancy doctorate. Good for him, I guess, but he can stay far away from people like me if he isn't willing to just admit he screwed up and offer an apology. It takes a certain kind of character. I still vividly remember how much bitterness he showed back during that old interview regarding the U2 concert in Ottawa. He thought he could just swoop in and liberate us from all our wartime frustrations once the bigger players moved on. 🙂

I've got no respect for those doctorates of his. He’d have more dignity if he were just hauling water from a brewery or standing in line at a local dive bar waiting for some canned fish that even a stray wouldn't touch.

You see, that specific part of the interview stung me just as much as that whole situation involving Alija Izetbegović's Ottawa.

Breg—give me a break. It’ll be lucky if we even get a scrap of anything left. 😁

Look, that’s exactly why nobody’s asking for your two cents.

You can spend all day circling this forum like a shark in a tank if you want to, but honestly? It's just like that old saying... "the dogs bark, but the caravan keeps moving."

briskhound33 said:You can get power from a car battery, man. You could even listen to the radio using a phone's voltage, a bike dynamo, or even some makeshift setup with a faucet and a spoon. There are ways. Besides, back at the start, there was still electricity running through much of America.

I'll give you five points for imagination. We used to watch TV on those little battery-powered sets back then, though they were almost impossible to carry around or recharge once they died. We managed to charge them a few times.

That bike thing was something refugees would do back home. I didn't own a bike, and I don't think anyone else in my apartment building did either.

As for the phone, I remember a neighbor mentioning it was possible, but I never actually saw it work in real life.

A faucet and a spoon? That's a new one for me. 🙂

In our neighborhood during the summer of '92, the power went out completely. After that, we’d only get about eight hours of electricity a month—sometimes two, sometimes even less. I'll never forget when the grid first failed; the whole neighborhood had to rush to use up everything in their freezers before it spoiled. It turned into one big backyard barbecue. 😁

briskhound33 said:Look, that’s exactly why nobody is asking for your opinion.

You can circle this forum all you want. You know how it goes... "barking dogs don't bite."

I can tell you're just venting again, man. 🙂

Andrew Hill3 said:Man, screw all those fancy doctorates of his. He’d have earned more respect if he’d just been out carrying water from the local brewery or grabbing a drink at a dive bar and waiting in line for some half-baked fish platter that even a stray dog wouldn't touch under normal circumstances.

See, that specific part of the interview really stung me, honestly, just as much as that whole bit about how things used to be back in the old days in Ottawa.

The whole situation with the neighborhood—it's a mess. Before long, everything is just going to fall apart completely. 😁

And then, boom, the war ends. Suddenly, you’ve got people from the Sandžak region, foreign workers, basically anyone and everyone who managed to squeeze their way into the city because of a job opportunity, some political shift, or just sheer luck... they all just flooded in. They weren't the ones hauling water, they weren't eating that overpriced EU gourmet stuff or Canadian canned fish, and they certainly weren't dodging snipers in the streets. What’s left are the true locals—the people who endured things nobody else could, though I guess most of them just stopped caring enough to fight for it, so they just do their own thing and try to blend in. It’s the same people who were actually there, carrying water, helping the wounded, trying to grab whatever supplies they could while sprinting across the runway or navigating through tunnels and convoys... when the fighting finally stopped, they worked their tails off to move on and build something, and they’re still grinding away today because, let's face it, pride doesn't put food on the table.

But sure, go ahead and blame him—call him a traitor just because he didn't carry water and spoke his mind about Alija Izetbegović.

Andrew Hill3 said:Man, you can practically smell the frustration coming off you from here. You're just acting out now. 🙂

Look, there’s zero frustration on my end, really. It just seems like whenever someone runs out of actual points to make, they just default to that whole "whatever, who cares" attitude. I see it all the time with people like you.

Andrew Hill3 said:Faucets and little spoons? Honestly, man, that’s the first time I’ve ever heard that combo mentioned in my life. 🙂

Faucets, tiny spoons, and a bicycle dynamo.
So, picture this: you take a dynamo off a bike and set it right by the faucet, then you weld those little spoons onto a single axle with a gear at the end, lean that gear against the dynamo, and run some wires straight into a transistor. As the water flows from the tap, it spins the spoons, and boom—you've got yourself a DIY musical instrument.
Oh, and if you're feeling extra fancy, you can grab a small copper pot from an old espresso maker to serve as your little moonshine still.

briskhound33 said:Then the war finally ends. Suddenly, everyone floods into the city—outsiders, migrants, anyone who could find a way into the heart of the country, whether it was for a job, foreign interests, or politics. They just moved in. These people weren't the ones carrying water, they weren't eating the EU rations or Canadian canned fish, and they certainly weren't dodging snipers. The true locals were the ones who endured things no one else could. But while those original residents were focused on surviving, these newcomers just pushed their way in and made themselves at home. Meanwhile, the people who actually carried the water, bought supplies for the wounded, and scrambled across the runway under fire or through convoys... they fought tooth and nail to get out once it was over because you can't live on pride alone.

But sure, blame Breg. He’s the traitor because he didn't carry water and because he said he'd rather deal with Alija Izetbegović.

Did I mention my old man is a Sandžak resident? He moved to the city back in the late fifties when things were still settling around the outskirts. Where were you during those times, my friend?

Unlike some self-proclaimed "true locals" (who maybe have three generations here) who heroically signed up for the local militia just to avoid seeing actual combat, my family—my own flesh and blood—really stepped up for this city during the war. I truly believe they earned their right to live here.

As for the people who left—look, man, not everyone fled. There are still plenty of us left. 🙂

briskhound33 said:Grab a garden hose, some spoons, and a bicycle dynamo.
Just set the bike up by the faucet, weld the spoons onto one axle with a gear at the end, lean that gear against the dynamo, and run some wires to a transistor. Once you turn the water on, the spoons start spinning, and there’s your music.
You can even repurpose an old espresso pot into a tiny still for moonshine.

Maybe you actually had decent water pressure, man. 🙂

Where I grew up, water would barely make it into the basement. It didn't have enough pressure to reach the second floor, let alone my place on the fifth. 🙂

briskhound33 said:I’m not frustrated. It just seems like whenever you or anyone else runs out of actual points to make, you just resort to saying "whatever, I don't care."

I’ve noticed that people like you always fall back on the "who asked you?" line the moment someone refuses to feed into the empty rhetoric. 🙂

But I am asking. In fact, I actually cast my vote. 🤣

Even Milutin didn't ask back in '92, and we all know how poorly that turned out. Can we at least agree on that?

Andrew Hill3 said:Did I mention my old man is originally from the Sandzak region? He moved out to Chicago back in the late fifties, right around the time things were settling down in Marindvor. Where were your folks hanging out during those years, sweetheart?

See, unlike some of those self-proclaimed "true locals" who—I kid you not—heroically signed up for the local militia just to dodge the front lines, my family, my actual blood, really stepped up and fought for this city. In my eyes, they more than earned their place here.

As for people running away or whatever... man, look, it is what it is. Not everyone bailed. There are still plenty of us left standing. 🙂

You know exactly who I’m talking about. And I don't mean just a couple of your buddies, but that massive wave of newcomers who flooded into the city after the war ended.

Andrew Hill3 said:I just notice that whenever people like you realize someone isn't buying into your empty rhetoric, you immediately resort to that "who asked you?" line.🙂

Well, I'm asking myself, man. Actually, I even cast my vote. 🤣

Even Milutin didn't bother asking back in '92, and he definitely miscalculated there. You with me on that one?

Oh, sure, they "ask" you. They ask you every single time an election rolls around and that's where it ends. Beyond that, nobody cares what you think—not even the rest of the world out there.

I'm lost on that Milutin thing though. Could you maybe elaborate on that a bit more?

briskhound33 said:You know exactly who I’m talking about. And I don't mean just some acquaintances of yours; I mean the massive wave of people who flooded into Ottawa after the war.

So what, should we have banned them? My father and my family aren't just "some acquaintances."

Regarding Milutin, I was referring to Kukanjac and all those different Kukanjacs.

As for the question—people ask me that more and more lately, man. People I respect, and who respect me, keep asking. As for those in power? Well, one day we'll deal with them with baseball bats regardless. Patience is a virtue. I didn't spend the years following the war crying over my fate or wasting away on drugs; I spent them studying. Hard work, education, and staying true to your principles—that's what works. I never sat around crying because some runaway had a better job or more money than me (honestly, I can laugh at that kind of wealth, even if I could use the cash), I just focused on building something for myself.

It's slow going, but it's happening. I finished my degree abroad on a scholarship based on my GPA, saw the world, thank Bog, and then came back to Ottawa with absolutely nothing but 162 miles my old man's pension and no job in sight, even though I could have easily stayed abroad and landed a cushy corporate gig. Thank Bog, I scraped by for six months, and now I've had a solid job for nearly a year. Things are going great. So, I don't really have any burning desire to cross the border again, unless it's for more schooling or just being a tourist. I'm not living poorly, I don't come from money, nobody is handing me anything on a silver platter, and thank Bog, I never had to resort to stealing.

I'll let you know when I'm ready. 😁

And yeah, there are more of us out here. Regarding the ruling structures, you just focus on being resourceful and making sure those baseball bats are ready; we'll handle the rest. 🤣 🤣 🤣

The banned baby said:I mean, what, were we supposed to just ban them or something? My old man and my whole family aren't exactly just some random acquaintances I met at a bar or something; they're my people.

Regarding Milutin, I was actually talking about Kukanjac and all those different branches of the Kukanjac family tree.

People keep asking me that question, man, and honestly, it’s happening more and more lately. I get asked by people I actually respect—people who give a damn about me—and as for those folks running the show in Washington? Well, let's just say we'll deal with them one way or another, maybe even with some baseball bats if things get desperate enough. Look, patience and a bit of grit can work wonders. When things were falling apart right after the war, I didn't spend my days moping around about how cursed my life was or getting wasted to forget the pain. No, I put that energy into learning. Hard work, getting an education, and actually sticking to your principles—that’s what actually moves the needle. I never sat around crying because some guy who ran off to California or Texas ended up with a better job or a bigger bank account than me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I’m not saying I don't need money—I'll be the first to laugh at anyone acting like they don't want a fat paycheck—but instead of being bitter about someone else's luck, I just focused on how I could build something from nothing myself.

It’s moving slow, but we’re getting there, I guess. I actually finished up my degree abroad—managed to snag a scholarship because my GPA was high enough—and honestly, I saw a good chunk of the world, thank God. But then I ended up coming back home to Ottawa with basically nothing to show for it, just... nothing. 162 miles Man, looking back at those months where I was just coasting on savings without a single steady paycheck lined up... it was a trip. I really could've stayed abroad and landed some cushy, soul-crushing corporate gig with zero effort, but I didn't. Honestly, thank God I managed to scrape by for about six months before finally landing this job. I’ve been at it for almost a year now, and things are actually going pretty smooth, you know? It’s been solid. So, yeah, I don't really have any burning desire to pack my bags and head overseas again right now, unless it's maybe for some more schooling or just popping over as a tourist for a bit. Life isn't exactly bad here; it's not like I came from some massive trust fund family or anything, and I haven't had anyone pushing me to succeed, nor did I ever have to resort to shady stuff just to get by—thank God for that. I'm just doing alright.

I'll give you a shout once I finally get there. 😁

And yeah, there’s plenty more of us out here, honestly. When it comes to those folks running the show at the top, you just focus on being resourceful—like, just make sure you’ve got your baseball bats ready to go, and we’ll take care of everything else from there. 🤣 🤣 🤣

That’s a pretty solid point you’re making there, honestly, I can see where you're coming from. But let's be real for a second—you’re definitely not speaking for the majority here.

Forget about those baseball bats, man—that’s never gonna happen. Honestly, that whole thing is just nothing more than some barroom tall tale people tell when they've had one too many beers.

And once again, you’re focusing on your inner circle like they're the whole story, but that's not what I meant at all—I was talking about the massive wave of newcomers who flooded into the country after the war ended.

I’m still feeling a little lost when it comes to this whole Milutin Kukanjac situation, honestly, because the details just aren't clicking for me. I remember hearing about Kukanjac back when things first started kicking off during the war, but after that initial period, he just kind of dropped off the map and disappeared from the conversation entirely.

Honestly, none of this even has anything to do with Breg anymore, so the whole argument is just kind of spinning its wheels at this point. It doesn't make any sense to keep dragging it out, so you might as well just call it a night and hit the hay. I mean, we've all been there, staring at a screen at weird hours trying to make sense of stuff that doesn't matter, but tomorrow is another day and we've actually got work to get done, right?

We’ve drifted pretty far off-topic here. Honestly, there's no way I'm getting any sleep right now. I think I'll head out to grab a pack of cigarettes; there's a 7-Eleven near my place that stays open all night, provided the night manager doesn't decide to call it quits early. 😁

Wishing you all a good night 🙂

Looking out the window, though, I might as well change that to a good morning 😁