Ukraine

[Rush2112]

and from what I've seen the Ukrainians have been using drones they bought from Turkey to mess up the convoys.

[Steve of phpBB]

If this is true, it seems like a big deal.



I've also read that the convoy is stopped because Ukraine did manage to destroy or disable some of the lead vehicles and the terrain there is too muddy to go around. Not sure how reliable that is.

[Johnnie]

Colonel Jessup voice: YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT IT IS.

[Johnnie]

If I remember right, I'm not the biggest Max Boot fan, but his opinion piece in WaPo is pretty good.

[Johnnie]

[The Sybian]

Can they get on Truth Social?

[HaulCitgo]

Brittany griner you are sol. No way we go to nuclear war for her.

[DaveInSeattle]

Can they get on Truth Social?

They'll be the only ones there...

The Emptiness Inside Donald Trump’s New Social Media Platform

Jimmy Carter built houses with Habitat for Humanity. George W. Bush learned to paint. Barack Obama hung out with Bruce Springsteen. And Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States, created his own alternate online universe for the MAGA-loving, Big Tech-hating common man. After months of hype, the site was here — and it looked a lot like the thing it’s supposed to replace.

[Johnnie]

Brittany griner you are sol. No way we go to nuclear war for her.

This apparently happened last month. Really dumb of her to be in possession of drugs in a foreign country as a non citizen.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brittney-g ... -wnba/#app

[degenerasian]

Can they get on the Swamp?

[HaulCitgo]

Brittany griner you are sol. No way we go to nuclear war for her.

This apparently happened last month. Really dumb of her to be in possession of drugs in a foreign country as a non citizen.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brittney-g ... -wnba/#app

Uhhhh.... yeah. Really dumb. Is it still foreign if it's sunny?

[EnochRoot]

I'm trying to wrap my head around the level of stupid one must be steeped in to not realize that tossing your bag of drugs would be a good idea, CUZ YOU'RE IN FUCKING RUSSIA.


eta: Now that I've had a moment. Why believe she was stupid enough to carry that contraband to an airport?

Why was she even in Russia, anyway?

[L-Jam3]

Do we have any confirmation of this that isn’t from a Russian government official. Because at this point why should anyone blindly believe anything that comes out of Russia without outside verification?

[EnochRoot]

Do we have any confirmation of this that isn’t from a Russian government official. Because at this point why should anyone blindly believe anything that comes out of Russia without outside verification?

Right. It is much more likely drugs were planted in her bag (or they're just full of shit about it) than Griner being dumb enough to carry drugs through an airport, much less a foreign one (Russia LOL).

[Gunpowder]

If this is true, it seems like a big deal.



I've also read that the convoy is stopped because Ukraine did manage to destroy or disable some of the lead vehicles and the terrain there is too muddy to go around. Not sure how reliable that is.

Russia just let their giant trucks sit around for years and so the tires all rotted away.

[Gunpowder]

Most of the time someone has drugs in their airport bag it's probably an accident.

[L-Jam3]

Right? Brittany Griner is a black, LGBT, activist, American athlete. She’d be the ideal person for Russia to frame.

[The Sybian]

I'm trying to wrap my head around the level of stupid one must be steeped in to not realize that tossing your bag of drugs would be a good idea, CUZ YOU'RE IN FUCKING RUSSIA.


eta: Now that I've had a moment. Why believe she was stupid enough to carry that contraband to an airport?

Why was she even in Russia, anyway?

Did I ever tell my story about going through Russian Customs returning from my high school exchange trip? Long story short, one of my two bags was filled entirely with contraband (vodka, Soviet propaganda banners and flags, Soviet military paraphernalia...). They x-rayed all the bags from my group, held up my bag and yelled for the owner. They made me open it, I was shitting bricks. The officer was terrifying. He sorted through and pulled out a metal crest of St. Petersburg about the size of a deck of cards. Threw it back in and told me to pack everything up.

He scanned the next bag, started screaming and 3 soldiers with rifles came running. My teacher was waiving her bouquet of flowers to show what a lovely group we were. The officer pulls a grenade out of the suitcase of a guy in my group. He starts freaking out saying he doesn't want it, just take it. The soldiers grab him and drag him away screaming, and wouldn't let our teacher go with him. He was gone for maybe 30 minutes, we were at the point where we were going to miss the flight. He comes back crying and terrified, they made him sign all sorts of documents he couldn't understand, but they let him leave. It was a hallowed out Soviet grenade someone gave him as a gift, and he didn't think that would cause a problem bringing it on the plane.

I still feel bad for my teacher, I can't imagine the stress of dealing with that, wondering what she would tell the kid's parents. Before the plane landed when they handed out US Customs declarations cards, she said if anyone had vodka we should give it to her to bring through. 3 of us raised our hands, she said she could only bring in 2 bottles. One kid had 2 bottles, the other had 5, I had 13 liters and a bottle of champagne. The mother of my host family was a manager at a vodka bottling factory. She took me on a tour, and they kept giving me bottles in different areas. My teacher looked horrified and said, "when we go through Customs, I don't know you." Fair enough.

[DSafetyGuy]

Why was she even in Russia, anyway?

A lot of professional women's basketball players will play overseas during the WNBA's offseason because it is much more lucrative. Russia, in particular, pays exceptional salaries.

[govmentchedda]

Why was she even in Russia, anyway?

A lot of professional women's basketball players will play overseas during the WNBA's offseason because it is much more lucrative. Russia, in particular, pays exceptional salaries.

Like 5-10x what they earn in WNBA.

[EnochRoot]

Why was she even in Russia, anyway?

A lot of professional women's basketball players will play overseas during the WNBA's offseason because it is much more lucrative. Russia, in particular, pays exceptional salaries.

Like 5-10x what they earn in WNBA.

Did they not recall the athletes prior to the invasion? I know in late January they issued a travel advisory for Russia, but...

[govmentchedda]

Why was she even in Russia, anyway?

A lot of professional women's basketball players will play overseas during the WNBA's offseason because it is much more lucrative. Russia, in particular, pays exceptional salaries.

Like 5-10x what they earn in WNBA.

Did they not recall the athletes prior to the invasion? I know in late January they issued a travel advisory for Russia, but...

Took her a while to go get her weed.

[EnochRoot]

Why was she even in Russia, anyway?

A lot of professional women's basketball players will play overseas during the WNBA's offseason because it is much more lucrative. Russia, in particular, pays exceptional salaries.

Like 5-10x what they earn in WNBA.

Did they not recall the athletes prior to the invasion? I know in late January they issued a travel advisory for Russia, but...

Took her a while to go get her weed.

Heh. Color me skeptical that she's actually reckless enough to do something like that.

[govmentchedda]

Why was she even in Russia, anyway?

A lot of professional women's basketball players will play overseas during the WNBA's offseason because it is much more lucrative. Russia, in particular, pays exceptional salaries.

Like 5-10x what they earn in WNBA.

Did they not recall the athletes prior to the invasion? I know in late January they issued a travel advisory for Russia, but...

Took her a while to go get her weed.

Heh. Color me skeptical that she's actually reckless enough to do something like that.

I'd suspect that it was an unenforced law that when shit went sideways became an enforced law.

[EnochRoot]

A lot of professional women's basketball players will play overseas during the WNBA's offseason because it is much more lucrative. Russia, in particular, pays exceptional salaries.

Like 5-10x what they earn in WNBA.

Did they not recall the athletes prior to the invasion? I know in late January they issued a travel advisory for Russia, but...

Took her a while to go get her weed.

Heh. Color me skeptical that she's actually reckless enough to do something like that.

I'd suspect that it was an unenforced law that when shit went sideways became an enforced law.

I know I'm projecting my own thoughts here onto someone else, but...as someone with celebrity status (and already pointed out, a black lesbian one at that), she should've been cognizant of the fact the rules would likely be applied to someone of her status.

[Steve of phpBB]

I'm trying to wrap my head around the level of stupid one must be steeped in to not realize that tossing your bag of drugs would be a good idea, CUZ YOU'RE IN FUCKING RUSSIA.


eta: Now that I've had a moment. Why believe she was stupid enough to carry that contraband to an airport?

Why was she even in Russia, anyway?

Did I ever tell my story about going through Russian Customs returning from my high school exchange trip? Long story short, one of my two bags was filled entirely with contraband (vodka, Soviet propaganda banners and flags, Soviet military paraphernalia...). They x-rayed all the bags from my group, held up my bag and yelled for the owner. They made me open it, I was shitting bricks. The officer was terrifying. He sorted through and pulled out a metal crest of St. Petersburg about the size of a deck of cards. Threw it back in and told me to pack everything up.

He scanned the next bag, started screaming and 3 soldiers with rifles came running. My teacher was waiving her bouquet of flowers to show what a lovely group we were. The officer pulls a grenade out of the suitcase of a guy in my group. He starts freaking out saying he doesn't want it, just take it. The soldiers grab him and drag him away screaming, and wouldn't let our teacher go with him. He was gone for maybe 30 minutes, we were at the point where we were going to miss the flight. He comes back crying and terrified, they made him sign all sorts of documents he couldn't understand, but they let him leave. It was a hallowed out Soviet grenade someone gave him as a gift, and he didn't think that would cause a problem bringing it on the plane.

I still feel bad for my teacher, I can't imagine the stress of dealing with that, wondering what she would tell the kid's parents. Before the plane landed when they handed out US Customs declarations cards, she said if anyone had vodka we should give it to her to bring through. 3 of us raised our hands, she said she could only bring in 2 bottles. One kid had 2 bottles, the other had 5, I had 13 liters and a bottle of champagne. The mother of my host family was a manager at a vodka bottling factory. She took me on a tour, and they kept giving me bottles in different areas. My teacher looked horrified and said, "when we go through Customs, I don't know you." Fair enough.

That’s a hell of a story.

[sancarlos]

It is entirely believable to me that she was set up.

It is also entirely believable to me that a young, possibly-entitled celebrity would either A) space out on the fact that she was doing something illegal here, or B) believe that her celebrity status would protect her.

[The Sybian]

It is entirely believable to me that she was set up.

It is also entirely believable to me that a young, possibly-entitled celebrity would either A) space out on the fact that she was doing something illegal here, or B) believe that her celebrity status would protect her.

It sounds like she had vape cartridges. My gut tells me she didn't think and packed them. I can totally see blanking on the idea that possessing vape cartridges can get you 10 years in prison.

[Johnnie]

I'm trying to wrap my head around the level of stupid one must be steeped in to not realize that tossing your bag of drugs would be a good idea, CUZ YOU'RE IN FUCKING RUSSIA.


eta: Now that I've had a moment. Why believe she was stupid enough to carry that contraband to an airport?

Why was she even in Russia, anyway?

Did I ever tell my story about going through Russian Customs returning from my high school exchange trip? Long story short, one of my two bags was filled entirely with contraband (vodka, Soviet propaganda banners and flags, Soviet military paraphernalia...). They x-rayed all the bags from my group, held up my bag and yelled for the owner. They made me open it, I was shitting bricks. The officer was terrifying. He sorted through and pulled out a metal crest of St. Petersburg about the size of a deck of cards. Threw it back in and told me to pack everything up.

He scanned the next bag, started screaming and 3 soldiers with rifles came running. My teacher was waiving her bouquet of flowers to show what a lovely group we were. The officer pulls a grenade out of the suitcase of a guy in my group. He starts freaking out saying he doesn't want it, just take it. The soldiers grab him and drag him away screaming, and wouldn't let our teacher go with him. He was gone for maybe 30 minutes, we were at the point where we were going to miss the flight. He comes back crying and terrified, they made him sign all sorts of documents he couldn't understand, but they let him leave. It was a hallowed out Soviet grenade someone gave him as a gift, and he didn't think that would cause a problem bringing it on the plane.

I still feel bad for my teacher, I can't imagine the stress of dealing with that, wondering what she would tell the kid's parents. Before the plane landed when they handed out US Customs declarations cards, she said if anyone had vodka we should give it to her to bring through. 3 of us raised our hands, she said she could only bring in 2 bottles. One kid had 2 bottles, the other had 5, I had 13 liters and a bottle of champagne. The mother of my host family was a manager at a vodka bottling factory. She took me on a tour, and they kept giving me bottles in different areas. My teacher looked horrified and said, "when we go through Customs, I don't know you." Fair enough.

That’s a hell of a story.

But didn't mention how he called himself The Machine once. 3/10. Would not read again.

[EnochRoot]

I'm trying to wrap my head around the level of stupid one must be steeped in to not realize that tossing your bag of drugs would be a good idea, CUZ YOU'RE IN FUCKING RUSSIA.


eta: Now that I've had a moment. Why believe she was stupid enough to carry that contraband to an airport?

Why was she even in Russia, anyway?

Did I ever tell my story about going through Russian Customs returning from my high school exchange trip? Long story short, one of my two bags was filled entirely with contraband (vodka, Soviet propaganda banners and flags, Soviet military paraphernalia...). They x-rayed all the bags from my group, held up my bag and yelled for the owner. They made me open it, I was shitting bricks. The officer was terrifying. He sorted through and pulled out a metal crest of St. Petersburg about the size of a deck of cards. Threw it back in and told me to pack everything up.

He scanned the next bag, started screaming and 3 soldiers with rifles came running. My teacher was waiving her bouquet of flowers to show what a lovely group we were. The officer pulls a grenade out of the suitcase of a guy in my group. He starts freaking out saying he doesn't want it, just take it. The soldiers grab him and drag him away screaming, and wouldn't let our teacher go with him. He was gone for maybe 30 minutes, we were at the point where we were going to miss the flight. He comes back crying and terrified, they made him sign all sorts of documents he couldn't understand, but they let him leave. It was a hallowed out Soviet grenade someone gave him as a gift, and he didn't think that would cause a problem bringing it on the plane.

I still feel bad for my teacher, I can't imagine the stress of dealing with that, wondering what she would tell the kid's parents. Before the plane landed when they handed out US Customs declarations cards, she said if anyone had vodka we should give it to her to bring through. 3 of us raised our hands, she said she could only bring in 2 bottles. One kid had 2 bottles, the other had 5, I had 13 liters and a bottle of champagne. The mother of my host family was a manager at a vodka bottling factory. She took me on a tour, and they kept giving me bottles in different areas. My teacher looked horrified and said, "when we go through Customs, I don't know you." Fair enough.

That’s a hell of a story.

But didn't mention how he called himself The Machine once. 3/10. Would not read again.

That's an awesome story. It reminds me of the story involving some old college buddies who took a trip with the USF Surf Club to Costa Rica back in 1994. They had an unscheduled stopover in Managua, Nicaragua. The international airport was being 'secured' by the FSLN, and sure as shit two armed Sandinista guerrillas walked into the jet carrying (what were presumed to be) AK-47s barking commands in Spanish. One of my buddies crapped himself (he was nicknamed Skidz for the rest of my time in Tampa). They eventually left the plane after speaking with the pilot. I guess repairs were completed and they then finished the flight to neighboring Costa Rica.

One of my buddies who experienced it wrote about it in long form - and it won an entry into some book about screwball surfing tales.

[Square Rob]

Colonel Jessup voice: YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT IT IS.

MSG FTW

[The Sybian]

But didn't mention how he called himself The Machine once. 3/10. Would not read again.

I love Bert's Machine story so much. I've heard him tell it several times in different ways. I was there around the same time as him and relate to so much of the story, other than the robbing a train part. Even in the small town I stayed in, 10 hours drive East of Moscow, there was a mafia presence. One of the kids in my group got to hang with them. His host student must have been friends with a guy in the mafia. One day they were picked up in new Mercedes by a group of guys in expensive looking suits. He was terrified, but from what I gather, they were just excited to meet an American and drove him around town. Very few people had cars, and they were almost exclusively Russian made Lada crap boxes. Seeing a Mercedes would be jarring.

[DaveInSeattle]

But didn't mention how he called himself The Machine once. 3/10. Would not read again.

I love Bert's Machine story so much. I've heard him tell it several times in different ways.

There is a podcast called "Good One" where they have comics come on and break down their jokes/bits. Bert was on it and went into a long breakdown of that story...including lots of backstory about why he went on that trip, and how he refined the story to get it down to its core essence. Worth checking out.

[DaveInSeattle]

Our Former Leader...Military Super Genius:

[P.D.X.]

The pilots could wear funny hats and tape the edges of their eyes back to complete the ruse!

[degenerasian]

The pilots could wear funny hats and tape the edges of their eyes back to complete the ruse!

hey, hey hey!!!!

[L-Jam3]

If there anything that illustrates TFG, it’s suggesting a war crime that would’ve even work.

[Johnnie]

This guy's channel is pretty good. A little over produced, but still entertaining.

[Johnnie]

[Rush2112]

Woah!

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-w ... g-26441095