cochyn

And bourbons of course (though not together, although..)

I was surprised to learn Putin is 70. This whole debacle smacks of an old man's 'legacy' statement as he contemplates his mortality: Putin's being the grandiose and ultimately doomed attempt to create a 'NovoRussian' Imperium. He's the head of country of 140 million people but spread out over a landmass almost double the size of Canada (and largely just as inhospitable) but with the GDP of Spain and as you say, no meaningful trading relation to the outside world. He's got to have fucked it hasn't he?

Not sure if a repost, but interesting reading nonetheless. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/02/28/world-war-iii-already-there-00012340

https://shape.nato.int/nato-exercises All geographically pertinent right now: NATO exercises in the Baltics, Georgia, Turkey...

Well, this isn't messing about. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_37750.htm In September 2020, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved Ukraine’s new National Security Strategy, which provides for the development of the distinctive partnership with NATO with the aim of membership in NATO. In response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, NATO has reinforced its support for capability development and capacity-building in Ukraine. The Allies condemn and will not recognise Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea, and its destabilising and aggressive activities in eastern Ukraine and the Black Sea region. NATO has increased its presence in the Black Sea and stepped up maritime cooperation with Ukraine and Georgia. NATO condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s attack on Ukraine of February 2022, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked. This is a grave violation of international law and a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security. The Alliance also condemns Russia’s decision to extend recognition to the separatist regions of eastern Ukraine. NATO Allies call on Russia to immediately cease its military action and withdraw all its forces from in and around Ukraine. NATO stands with the people of Ukraine and its legitimate, democratically elected president, parliament and government. The Alliance will always maintain its full support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. Russia is now facing severe costs and consequences imposed by the whole international community.

Nazis created the EU? Oh, OK. That guy just comes across like your typical interweb conspiracy gobshite.

What a horseshit article. There is ample evidence to refute Russia's claims that NATO's aim is to threaten Russia. The most glaringly obvious being that no NATO country has once even gestured toward any aggressive act towards Russia in its entire existence. Quite the contrary, as many western companies (and countries) invested heavily and garnered trade links with Russia over the last 30 years. And how does Putin reciprocate? By shitting the bed and invading Georgia apparently for the 'crime' of wanting to develop relations with the west. And annexing Crimea to send a similar message to Ukraine for the same 'crime'. The bad cunt is still living in his own idealised version of the past where the West is still the enemy: he's a small man given legitimacy by his desk job in the KGB. Fast forward to now and his power exposes the fact that he only knows how to react with force and with weaponry with his mates in the army. He poisons the well of peace an prosperity for the people - even his own.

Going for broke by the sound of it… tick tock

I found this quite illuminating - OK its a YT vid but the author is pretty up on geopolitics and the narrative fits the actions. Buckle in, kids.

I have no words. Heart breaking. Days before the war breaks out. Leaving Kiev

Same here mate. Easy from over here isn't it? My reading of the situation is that Putin has banged the drum for a neutralization of the Ukraine for years. His generals have come up with a plan which basically sees them a) Cut off the head of the snake by taking Kiev b) Advance from the east to bolster their presence in the separatist regions c) Take control of the Black Sea ports via Crimea d) strangle the Ukraine into being a vassal state. All in time for tea and blinis. He sees the west in a perceived moment of weakness and division and goes for it. It's terrible to witness, but it's a weak plan to begin with and it smells like he's sold it to the Russian military as being well within their capabilities akin to the interventions in Georgia and Chechnya. The real danger is whether he doubles down on the plan and truly escalates. Or, his military turn around and tell him to seek a political resolution to avoid a wider escalation and to keep his seat. Which he will have to do at some point (hence - negotiations). My guess would be he'd settle at Ukraine ceding Crimea to Russia and the Donbass being given semi autonomy under UN monitoring. This way ethnic Russians are 'protected', he gets some degree of a result out of it. The Ukraine however would go for broke for both EU and NATO membership... Putin would seek anon-aggression pact with NATO (which is superfluous as NATO is a defensive alliance, not an offensive one). And on we go.

Who'd follow his orders? How would he know they had? He's got where he is by being canny enough to placate the military yet never place it in a situation it can't handle- see going after Chechnya, Georgia - it's all quelling 'internal strife'. Crimea is essentially Russian so he know he could go in there basically unopposed. It's emboldened him to expand on the plan, but with a military that's had eight years to prepare for going at Ukraine. He may be despotic, vainglorious and all that. But his military know their limits. And if reports form Ukraine are to be believed, maybe he now knows it too.

Can't see it myself mate. That would be an escalation waaaay beyond his ability to control. It's control he's after - and return to a bygone state of affairs that the rest of the world has long moved on from. Reinventing Russia in a soviet image relies on maintaining a strong Russia at its core. Going nuclear would green light the rest of the world closing in on them and tearing Russia apart from all directions. There'd be plenty of takers, not least the numerous regions far from Moscow who'd gladly see the back of Putin and set up their own republics.

Would he though, and against who? Using nukes would surely bring global condemnation and likely spur China into at least a response that would have to align them with the West against Russia. It'd be suicide for Russia.

Ever the optimist, eh? Well let's at least hope for the least bloody outcome.

Jesus, are you seeing the same things everyone else is? Russia were never going to be mollified by anything but putting Ukraine under its jackboot. Why else park half it's army on it's borders and say 'nothing to see here, just parking my tanks...'? This cunt needs dealing with and this excuse for a state he's head of needs putting into line. Russia is still 40 years behind the West in almost every regard thanks to this regime. Apart from natural resources, Russia offers literally nothing the world wants as it cannot understand world markets or what they demand. The only states it can meaningfully engage with are similar backward quasi-feudal juntas that kowtow to Moscow and sucks Putin's cock. You can't level with these kinds of people because their deep-rooted inferiority complex causes them to over flex what little 'might' they have. This invasion being a classic case in point. These sanctions will see a developmental apartheid putting Russia even further behind the rest of the developed world. As there is no apparatus within that country to stop the current regime, it will continue along an isolationist path and the rest of the world will have to continue to deal with it. Without meaningful change from within Russia, t's not looking good medium-long term at all. and sadly it'll be the Russian people who suffer most. As always.

Pity there's no medals for seeing how many perfectly capable 4x4s can be abandoned in a slightly snowy ditch. We'd absolutely smash that.

Nightmare Alley Guillermo Del Toro's latest and right up his, er.. alley: Pulpy, washed-out southern noire so carnivalesque I kept expecting Tom Waits to feature in it. He didn't. But everyone who did absolutely carried the story's dream-like menace throughout. A proper film that rewards just losing yourself in it's universe. A dark tale, but a feast for all the senses. 8.76/10

Oh man. Hodgson is exactly what Everton need right now. Just the slightest thought of that ever happening is just pure fucking gold. Damn you, Ranieri.

Pre-vintage.. Nothing special, really - I go for good mid-range geets that play well and get overlooked by collectors (so don't get counterfeited). Currently some early-mid-'90's Samick-built Epiphones I picked up a while ago when they could be had for buttons (sub-£200). Looking at Washburn N4s at the moment. It's no retirement fund, but they play really well and have great tone. And they look nice hung up on the wall. Probably one for the 'Guitars' thread..

.

Joe Customer: Can I give you my real money for this er, 'bitcoin' stuff I keep hearing about? JP Morgan: Oh sure, we'll take your money. (value of assets may go up or down etc..) Crypto IMO is a broken promise: it promised to be an egalitarian currency model, but in actuality has turned into a highly speculative 'asset' class that thrives in green investor markets and is used mainly to obfuscate illegal transactions. Not to mention it's staggering energy use. So, not for me. What money I have to invest goes into things I enjoy: rare cars at the base of their depreciation curve and pre-vintage guitars. I buy 'em, I enjoy 'em and when I'm done, I'll sell them for more than I paid. If I don't manage that, well, I've enjoyed the ride and the memories they bring. But at the moment at least, I'm well up. Genuinely glad some of you have made a tidy wedge from crypto - well done. Hope it goes well for you all.

Aye removing green levies makes some amount of sense: As people switch over to electric heating in the next few years there'll be more folk paying 15p per kW/h of electricity needed to heat their homes, rather than the ~5p per kW/h they're paying for gas now. Cut the tax now knowing there's a windfall on it's way.

Pegged to a little thing called GDP. (Not the Token)

Gen Z have been weaned on the internet. This shit is as real (and divisive) to them as beans of a fry up is to the rest of us. I'm not saying it's right, but y'know; horses for courses. As with every internet 'success' story, there's millions of poor saps who've been taken in by all the hype and wasted their young years and hard-earned real money fruitlessly chasing these unicorns. This whole shebang has '1929 New York stock market' written all over it.