Putin Invades Ukraine II

[vnatale]

Oopser doopers. Was Prigozhin on the plane?

No context here.

[dualstow]

Sorry, Vinny, I must have written all the context in invisible ink.
Do you have some lemon juice by any chance?

[vnatale]

Sorry, Vinny, I must have written all the context in invisible ink.
Do you have some lemon juice by any chance?

I don't get it. If someone is not glued to second by second news where is there any context to "Oopser doopers. Was Prigozhin on the plane?"

[dualstow]

Update: hmm, it’s looking like he was on the plane. I guess we’ll find out soon.
I hope he spent his final two months on Earth wisely.

[vnatale]

Update: hmm, it’s looking like he was on the plane. I guess we’ll find out soon.
I hope he spent his final two months on Earth wisely.

Now I have the context see I am seeing it discussed on Washington Journal.

In general I don't feed on news constantly.

I pick up what I hear on Washington Journal each day from 7 AM to 10 AM.

Whatever is disclosed here (with context).

When I go on Twitter to look at one of my lists (not every day).

When I read my daily newspaper (not every day. I.e., will read three or four or five days of them in one sitting).

Otherwise any other sounds I heard is either baseball or music.

Oh. I do go through many (75) personal finance emails a day but those are almost always strictly focused on personal finance and not general country or world news.

[dualstow]

Thank you for telling us about your lifestyle, Vinny.
And now, back to the war…

[vnatale]

Thank you for telling us about your lifestyle, Vinny.
And now, back to the war…

Trying to explain why maybe sometimes you need to provide more context to your stray comments. Or, is everyone else tied into second by second news?

[Xan]

Thank you for telling us about your lifestyle, Vinny.
And now, back to the war…

Trying to explain why maybe sometimes you need to provide more context to your stray comments. Or, is everyone else tied into second by second news?

I think if we're confused about something we can just go look.

[Vil]

DS and Vinny, based on my modest observations being older than a certain age generally means the oddities of your character are irreversible
I think you have both exceeded that age haha.
By the way, DS I haven't yet met such an informed person like you, living west of Mid-Europe and one that is so familiar with the latest developments in that war...
Anyway, back to the war.
It was just a couple hours ago that Putin also officially announced that indeed Prigozhin was on that plane (yes, the same one that Vinny do not give a sh*t about). While this does not sound really a big deal, one of the journalists here made a nice comment, sthg like "now more and more people from Putin's close entourage will be kind of really forced to bring him only the news he wants to hear and do not make any opposition against his will and opinion. However, this will make a really detrimental effect on his decisions, which might be fatal for Russia re the outcome of the war..". Though, not really sure who the allies of Putin are now, except Shoigu and Medvedev.

As mentioned previously a side effect that we can really feel here in Bulgaria is that many places got flooded with Ukrainians. And unfortunately, what I have to say is that majority of those people look like ones who utilized the high level of corruption in their country to escape it. We all see their (very!) nice cars, clothes and high living standard.. Well certainly not all (yesterday bought a burger sold by Ukrainian guy), but most of them ..

[dualstow]

Well, Vil, although Vin thinks I’m “glued to the news” at all times, I just had the radio on while making chicken soup.
I will say that if I want to find something out before the main channels break it, I would turn to your fellow Bulgarian at Bellingcat. He’s really something. (Btw, he had some funny comments about Elon Musk in his Financial Times interview which I should really reproduce elsewhere in this forum).

You have good insights, and it’s great to hear from someone who’s experiencing something on the ground. I realize that I’m just a babbling American passing along something from the media, but what can i say- it’s a topic of interest. Perhaps in part because briefly living in Russia was an important episode in my life.

What you described is every dictator’s problem, right? They don’t take bad news well, so they seldom receive it. I think I’ve already written this in the past, but there is a Chinese phrase that perfectly applies to Putin’s situation: (When you) ride the tiger, it’s hard to get off. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/騎虎難下
If he ever finds himself out his current job, he’s done for. Finito.

As for age, I am older than Star Wars but younger than Rosemary’s Baby. But yeah, probably irreversible. Vinny is of course ancient.

Great post!

[vnatale]

Vinny is of course ancient.

But not ancient enough to be unable to guide the team I coach to a 4-0 record this past Saturday so that my coed softball team could win the B Division play-offs! That feat got us the headlines in our local newspaper with accompanying story and picture.

One of the keys to my coaching success was not letting my Vinny player get into a single game. In our second game on Saturday the umpire ejected me from the game! I've been playing in in softball leagues almost continuously since 1969 and I'd never even been given a warning. But winning the play-offs plus in the way we did (being dominant in some of the games) was quite a pleasant surprise.

Capture.JPG (79.28 KiB) Viewed 80244 times

[Vil]

Yeah, of course, you are both legends in your own way !

To proceed with the offtopic... Vinny, your right hand looks huge - dunno whether its some strange photo effect, or its really that big. Have seen such effect in rock climbers, their fingers get much thicker than normal ones too (yours look thick too).

[dualstow]

Excellent, Vinny

[Xan]

Excellent, Vinny

Yes, well done!

[dualstow]

IMG_6741.jpeg (663.19 KiB) Viewed 80180 times

[ppnewbie]

I think Putin may have been trolling the US because “the plane goes down” is a favorite method of a three letter agency.

[dualstow]

I have no idea what that means. Too many 3-letter agencies for one thing. CIA?
But, big picture, he had to get rid of his old friend at some point, right? It would’ve been unthinkable to let Prigozhin get away with those shenanigans.

As for the method, some say it was because Wagner shot down Russian craft.

[vnatale]

Do not know how accurate or reliable this source is:

https://news.yahoo.com/national-resista ... 46713.html

National Resistance Center: Russia plans to bring North Korean workers to occupied Ukraine
Rachel Amran
Sun, September 17, 2023 at 8:27 PM EDT·1 min read

[seajay]

Do not know how accurate or reliable this source is:

https://news.yahoo.com/national-resista ... 46713.html

National Resistance Center: Russia plans to bring North Korean workers to occupied Ukraine
Rachel Amran
Sun, September 17, 2023 at 8:27 PM EDT·1 min read

Mine sweepers - to clear the extensive mines laid by Russia in areas that Ukraine has reclaimed and that Russia looks to re-take

During the Korean war British positions were over-run by sheer volumes - ran out of bullets.

Putin's cleared out over-crowded Russian prisons, sent as bullet fodder. NK have a spare few millions that it otherwise is struggling to feed.

Ukraine has been fortunate to have been provided with so much equipment by Russia, tanks etc, even anti-tank mines being repurposed as bombs dropped by drones onto Russian positions.

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/stat ... nes-2023-9

https://www.youtube.com/embed/WC5fD_B-o80?autoplay=1

[dualstow]

I read recently that Russia is adapting to the situation. it’s catching up with drones, for example.

There was also an article in the Financial Times in which some Ukrainian officers said NATO training does not always work for their specific terrain and situation. With regard to mine clearning, one commander said, “If I did everything [your way] I’d be dead.”

[dualstow]

I’m also fascinated by articles on businesses that haven’t extricated themselves from Russia. Whether you leave or you’re don’t, you’re kind of screwed. Some companies that haven’t left are finding it hard to get their dividends out of the country, including the energy firms of “friendly” India.

[dualstow]

Really good documentary on a Russian journalist and Novaya Gazeta. The cojones on this guy!

Another Frontline production. Don't know if it will play in everyone's region, but there's always a transcript. This was released 12 days ago but the transcript is already there.

It starts out in Russian with subtitles, but don't worry, Vinny. After a few minutes it's largely the usual rich-voiced American narrator, so you can then look at sports while it plays.

https://youtu.be/5vg-s0xJCoQ

I have cued up a teaser:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vg-s0xJCoQ&t=997s

[Smith1776]

Really good documentary on a Russian journalist and Novaya Gazeta. The cojones on this guy!

Another Frontline production. Don't know if it will play in everyone's region, but there's always a transcript. This was released 12 days ago but the transcript is already there.

It starts out in Russian with subtitles, but don't worry, Vinny. After a few minutes it's largely the usual rich-voiced American narrator, so you can then look at sports while it plays.

https://youtu.be/5vg-s0xJCoQ

I have cued up a teaser:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vg-s0xJCoQ&t=997s

Unavailable in my region... noooooooo!!!

[dualstow]

Boo!
Torrent?
Does anyone torrent anymore in this age of streaming?
VPN?

[Smith1776]

Boo!
Torrent?
Does anyone torrent anymore in this age of streaming?
VPN?

LOL. I totally forgot about my own VPN. Even after that thread about it.

I changed my location and It's working now. As far as YouTube is concerned I now live on the U.S. east coast!