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Shady Ray

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Posts posted by Shady Ray

  1. Yeah, the political angle has been really, really front-and-center here, which has surely been felt by the players. Their biggest sponsor, Rewe Supermarkets, just now pulled sponsorship yesterday over the armband issue, so lots of distractions and unwanted interviews/attention for the players.

     

    I don't know how the coverage has been on Fox in the US has been, but here on ZDF it has literally been:

     

    Pregame = Reports on human rights violations;

    Opening kick until halftime = game coverage

    Halftime = Reports on human rights violations

    End of half through extra time = game coverage

    Postgame = Reports on human rights violations

     

    And that's not to blame ZDF...fuck FIFA for allowing this shitshow to occur.

     

    But that said, yeah, there are a ton of Croats in Munich...around 60k total. Around 300k in Southern Germany alone. 

     

    And yeah, they ran their own shit. von Horstenau sent a note to Heinrich Himmler (yeah, thaatttt Himler) saying, "Gottttt damn, these Croats are fucking ruthless. Their concentration camps are not nearly as civilized as the extermination sytem you built, Heinrich."

     

    Wild shit. Lord help us all if the Serbs and Croats somehow meet up in this one.

  2. Reporting from Munich.

    The Germans are very pessimistic about their chances to even escape the group. 2018 rattled the confidence in the national psyche.

    The Croatians around town, on the other hand- of which there are plenty- feel they are gonna win the whole damn thing.

    I’ve seen more Croatian Checkerboards than German flags this AM then ever before.

    Will be a fun day.

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  3. 20 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

    Can you people appreciate what it’s like for me to work with Brisket? I mean, it’s just like this day in and day out.

    God, it makes me pine for the days of working with @DDD Dad, and that was no picnic—believe me.

    Makes me think I need @Shady Ray up for a job—at least he’ll take half of September off to drink bier.

    Prior to this past week, I would agree with you.

     

    But after the past week spent in the UK, which consisted of workdays mixed with booze, dinners mixed with booze and work, and a couple of nightcaps that got way too boozy and ran way too late, I have come to the sad realization that I have four consecutive nights in me - max. The horrors of getting old.

     

    But I would definitely find a way to "enjoy the sites" during the latter half of that time, so I guess your point nevertheless stands.

     

    spacer.png

     

    That said, I am miles behind on this thread. Will read up while my pounding head and aching body recovers now that I am safely back home.

     

    But I can report without reservation after a sample size of approximately one dozen very chatty London and Edinburgh cabbies: Nukes over Moscow would be a widely acceptable next step to this voting block. 

  4. Just now, atomheartbevo said:

    And not only that, but this is making sure that it will be a long time before Western companies come back to Russia, because many of them will be thinking "well, how long until we have to leave the country again and get our assets seized?"

    All the financial outlet are saying the Russian stock market extended their closure yesterday.

    Someone Who Isn't Me can confirm that this is absolutely the case.

     

    In fact, Someone Who Isn't Me has been on multiple calls lately where the sentence "well, how long until we have to leave the country again and get our assets seized?" has been asked.

     

    And if I didn't know very certainly that that Someone Who Isn't Me wasn't you, I would think it was - in fact - you, given how accurate this statement is.

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  5. https://www.politico.eu/article/gerhard-schroder-in-moscow-to-meet-putin-in-ukraine-peace-bid-sources/

     

    Gerhard Schröder in Moscow to meet Putin in Ukraine peace bid: Sources

    Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday as part of a mediation effort to end the war in Ukraine, sources familiar with the matter told POLITICO.

    Schröder has come under fierce criticism at home and abroad for refusing to sever his close ties to Moscow following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Even several of his office staff quit last week after he insisted on keeping his senior roles at Kremlin-linked energy giants Rosneft and Gazprom.

    Schröder, a Social Democrat, served as German chancellor from 1998 to 2005. He has since enjoyed a lucrative business career thanks to his Russian energy roles.

    Ukraine wanted to see if Schroeder could build a bridge for dialogue with Putin,” according to a person familiar with the matter.

    Last week, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, suggested Schröder could try to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv.

    German government officials said they had not been informed in advance of Schröder’s initiative.

    ==============

     

    I mean, I guess its better than a pipeline...

     

    but still...Gerhard? Now?

  6. 57 minutes ago, Hefeweizen said:

     

    This guy has outstanding maps and analysis.  Unfortunately, I think he is spot on that Russia is grinding this thing down and will continue to  do so.  

    Air superiority appears to be impossible for Russia to achieve though.

    Sanctions are crushing Russia but don't affect the battlefield.  Ukraine holding out for another 4 to 6 weeks would probably be a win for them.  At that point it switches to an insurgency.

    Great recommendation. Thanks a lot for sharing. 

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  7. 18 hours ago, troph said:

    @Shady Ray things to learn from this thread:

    1. @Cajun loves to pick up barely legal ladies on the lake in his nice surf boat ride. The benefit is he posts pics showing off, they are generally much appreciated around here.

    2. @Sbbruin likes to brag about his SoCal life and grabbing the mooring balls in Catalina any chance he can get. We all drool over his escapades.

    3. @G650 is addicted to speed and carbon fiber, he'll likely end up with the largest yacht of the group when we all retire. I have half a mind to be a stowaway on one of his gulfstream races.

    4. @justhookit can't decide if his Costa Rica adventure pics catching marlin on his Bertram belong here or in the fishing thread. He's going to be my first, marlin catch that is. He wants to be in our will, his only ask is our dog.

    5. @conVINCEd is on deck with his boat purchase to come. We are trying to get him to spend 3x his budget.

    6. @Viking was the first one out the door, he rarely has time to post with all the chillaxing in the Caribbean he does. We all admit he's doing it the right way.

    7. @Landomatic bought a yacht, then disappeared. Last he spoke he talked about how it entertained 6, dined 4, and slept 2 as the perfect boat but he was rethinking that for sleeping 3. We've yet to hear how that's turned out.  We suspect quite well.

    8. @Brew he's a long term wake/surf/ski boat guy, great resource for all things boats except sail boats.

    9. all the fishing guys are here but are underrepresented in pics, they should post more.

    10. not sure what these fellas would say about me, but I do swing both ways (I own a surf boat, a sail boat and I charter big boats of all kinds) and live by the motto "how many boats does a gal need? One more than she has."

    11. boat pron is always appreciated.  you see boats you like, pics or GTFO.

    12. bragging is good, we all want to see someone living their best life on the water.

    what else am I missing?

    Great stuff, Troph. Many thanks for the Cliffs Notes. Seems like a gathering spot of truly learned guys/gals with a focus on what is truly important in life: boats and Cajun's proclivities for going full-on Wooderson on the Water...

     

    *Slips on smoking jacket, lights pipe, and pours a fine scotch...and clicks on Page 1 of thread with great anticipation*

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  8. 3 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

    Oh, the Ukrainians are taking damage. We know that. Understandably they aren’t publishing it as much because they want the world to keep backing the small scrappy army taking on the Russians. 
     

    I think two big things, intertwined, are holding back broader counteroffensives. First, the Russians have plenty of combat power in reserve that they didn’t commit to this fight.  The Ukrainians only have the army they have.  They aren’t in a position to swing for the knockout blow if Russia decides to commit more of that power and they are killing plenty of Russians anyway. 
     

    Second, we have absolutely seen a more restrained Russian offensive than what you’d expect from Russia. As discussed ad nauseam, that’s mostly a result of truly bizarre Russian political assumptions.  But Russia can turn on far more damaging and indiscriminate air/missile/artillery strikes.  They appear to have kind of stalled out around Kyiv and to have settled into a terrible but not full fledged siege of important centers in the south. Russian leaders are likely recalculating how much of a squeeze is worth the juice they might get.  I don’t think Ukrainians want to bait them into a slugfest if there’s a chance that might be avoided. 

    Good stuff, 956. Thanks.

     

    Another question for you (sorry if this has already been posted, but this thing moves so fast): Have we seen any significant information re the UA forces in the East around Donbass? I know that at the outset of the war, the majority of their forces were stationed along the LOC around the Donbass, but most of the media coverage has been focused on Kiev, Kharkov and to some degree Mariupol, as of late. But the situation around Donbass seems rather static through this whole thing and I haven't seen much movement or coverage on this. Seems like it should be a bigger deal for the Russians, since maximum damage could be inflicted there, but focus on Twitter and in the media of all languages seems to be quieter re the East. Just wondering what's up over there...

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  9. 3 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

    Thanks. Love this sentiment. 

    the 24-year-old
    bartender from Kaunas, Lithuania had a document with a QR code and
    instructions on where along the Polish border he should show up. He
    was registered to go fight against Russian troops in their bloody war
    on Ukraine. “I have the fitness, the youth, and the training—it
    would be selfish of me not to use it,” he says. “If rockets are
    wasted on me instead of some children, I’ll take that deal
    anytime.”
    

     

    I lived in Kaunas for a year in the early aughts. 

     

    I know it has modernized quite nicely over the past 20 years, but if one thing is for certain: you don't want to fight with bartenders from Kaunas. And you definitely don't want to fight with bartenders from Kaunas who feel compelled by righteous anger.

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  10. Lulz...China gonna take all those Russian resources without even setting a foot in Siberia.
     
    Prepare that anus, Vlad...Xi gonna shove his Wang Yi so far up that ass it'll be Peking out ya throat.
     
    Yeah yeah yeah...I'll see myself out:


    ————-
     

    China considers buying stakes in Russian energy, commodity firms 

    Any deal would be to bolster China's imports as it intensifies its focus on energy and food security — not as a show of support for Russia's invasion in Ukraine, sources said

    China is considering buying or increasing stakes in Russian energy and commodities companies, such as gas giant Gazprom PJSC and aluminum producer United Co. Rusal International PJSC, according to people familiar with the matter.
     
    https://financialpost.com/commodities/energy/oil-gas/china-considers-buying-stakes-in-russian-energy-commodity-firms?r
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  11. 6 minutes ago, Shady Ray said:

    Got damn, Troph, this is great stuff. Wish I could pos rep even more. I remember that exact feeling when starting law school, so hits close to home and all that.

     

    I binged a bunch of intro to sailing shit on Youtube last night and woke up so excited that I just said "fuck it"... turned on my out of office reply, loaded up the dog and drove out to the farm this morning just to check it out. Hopped onto a relatively empty A95 autobahn heading south towards Innsbruck at around 6:30 AM and felt excitement that I hadn't felt in a long time. Not sure what I thought I was going to do once I got there outside of walking around the boat with Eli Manning Dumbface, but once I got there I proceeded to, well, errrr, walk around the boat with Eli Manning Dumbface. But it sure was fun.

     

    Anyway, I will sit back and learn as much as possible from this thread...but before doing so, I took a pic... looking forward to posting a bunch more come May:

     

     

     

     

    Well, shit...fucked up that photo...let's try again:

     

    IMG_5059.thumb.jpeg.5510faf4402b3b423bb7a1d6670fc502.jpeg

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  12. 13 hours ago, troph said:

    That’s incredible you totally made the right move. Stick around this is the best thread on surly. As the newest member of the sailing club, I’ll say there is a mystique about it that I gladly indulge. Not since I dawned my law school alma mater “school of law” T-shirt when I accepted their offer after undergrad, have I felt such an identity as I have with sailing. It’s super rad. And part of it was always thinking how hard it must be. It’s really not hard and the basics are simple geometry and physics. The hardest part is navigating under sail is largely a reactive job where motor boating is proactive. Yes you can be aggressive but you can only play the hand the wind deals to you. But once you’re comfortable in that posture it’s really not that hard. So just get out there take those classes and do it. You’ll love it.

    Got damn, Troph, this is great stuff. Wish I could pos rep even more. I remember that exact feeling when starting law school, so hits close to home and all that.

     

    I binged a bunch of intro to sailing shit on Youtube last night and woke up so excited that I just said "fuck it"... turned on my out of office reply, loaded up the dog and drove out to the farm this morning just to check it out. Hopped onto a relatively empty A95 autobahn heading south towards Innsbruck at around 6:30 AM and felt excitement that I hadn't felt in a long time. Not sure what I thought I was going to do once I got there outside of walking around the boat with Eli Manning Dumbface, but once I got there I proceeded to, well, errrr, walk around the boat with Eli Manning Dumbface. But it sure was fun.

     

    Anyway, I will sit back and learn as much as possible from this thread...but before doing so, I took a pic... looking forward to posting a bunch more come May:

     

    IMG_5059.thumb.jpeg.14475cda2acb20142faa9072ce5b275d.jpeg

     

     

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  13. 17 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

    Well, in a way, Western Europe has a pretty obvious solution to its demographics problems.

    Yep. I mean...not to be too cynical, but the longstanding obstacle to closer ties with Ukraine has not really had anything to do with the Ukrainian people, but rather the high level of corruption within its existing state structures.

     

    But essentially importing its people and leaving the corrupt system behind...welllllll, that's something that blonde-headed, blue-eyed European industry can get behind. There was an article in the local Münchener Merkur newspaper today that was essentially titled, "Munich Construction Industry Ready to Support Ukrainian Refugees With Jobs" and I thought, "Lulz...I bet you fuckers are...for a lot less pay than your average Pole or Croatian".

     

    But yeah...Western Europe can virtue signal all it wants, but its a lot more palatable to its electorates for a bunch of blonde Ukrainian's to show up at the central train station than other iterations of migrant waves. 

     

    I have followed the "anti-foreigner" commentary already today on German TV and the discussion has been, "Where are we going to put them given our urban housing shortages?", which is actually a valid question, but one that the country will sort out.

     

    But it is much different than their previous narrative surrounding the Syrian/ME influx, which was basically "Beheadings: Will they do them before or after they rape your wife? Next after these messages."

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  14. 47 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

    To serious topics: the Czech Republic is announcing that approximately 100,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived. Many of them are not officially registered— they have family or friends and once they got over the border of Europe there’s no demand to register in onward countries.

    That is approximately 1 percent of the population of the country in 10 days arriving as refugees. Of course, Ukrainians tend to blend in but this is a massive lift. And unlike middle eastern migrants, expectations are that most of them will want to stay out as there is a local community, language is easier, closer to home, etc.

    Equivalent of over 3 million people in ten days to the U.S. with more to come. 

    Yeah, this is going to be a huge deal. Germans are saying that Berlin Hauptbahnhof got 15,000 on Sunday and another 15k yesterday, which is small potatoes given what Czech is going through. It is absolutely unreasonable to expect the immediate neighbors to bear this type of brunt given their relative size and economic capacities, so there can't be the resistance by other EU member states to accept some type of distribution scheme the way there was in 2015 with the Syrians/others.

     

    I think a lot of lessons were learned in 2015 and there is going to be zero fucking about in Brussels when it comes to countries across the Continent pulling weight...this absolutely cannot be left for Poland and Czech to manage alone. You don't take your share and provide support, cohesion funds should be cut. Period.

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  15. 13 minutes ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

    This sober alcoholic woman I know is married to another sober drunk. They have a deal. "If it gets to where we are eating our pets, we're off the wagon. We eat our pets -- everybody drinks, even the baby."

     

    Heh. I've been on the wagon since Jan 1st and plan to be until next week when I am in London and Edinburgh for work. Otherwise, trying to get into post-apocalyptic fighting shape, so keeping the extra beer calories away.

     

    But if shit goes sideways and Bob the Golden Retriever is on the menu, Looter Guy from Katrina will no longer be the go-to meme for booze looting...it'll be a dude in a burnt orange sweatshirt rolling a keg of Augustiner Helles through the darkened streets of central Munich.

     

    I'll make this site so proud on my way out.

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