herfiehandbag

1 hour ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

Theres  still room across his mouth for a  few more  pwetty badges and emblems, must be some real war hero for sure.

Quite possibly the most unlikely paratrooper ever!

I have two browsers on my phone, "Brave" and "Chrome". Brave was my preferred browser. AN now does not work on Brave, it works on Chrome, albeit continuously trying to persuade me to sign up to Tik Tok!

Anyone any idea what has happened?

On 5/8/2024 at 3:19 AM, Social Media said:

 

A US soldier finds himself detained in Vladivostok, Russia, facing charges of theft, marking another notable arrest of an American citizen by Russian authorities. Staff Sgt Gordon Black, stationed in South Korea, was apprehended during a trip to Vladivostok, sparking international attention and diplomatic discussions.

 

Amidst concerns over political motivations, both the US army and Russian law enforcement confirm the arrest. Unlike previous cases involving espionage or political crimes, Russian officials assert that this incident is unrelated to political agendas, clarifying that it stems from allegations of theft.

 

Details emerge painting a complex picture of the soldier's situation. Black, married and on a "side trip" after completing his deployment, allegedly traveled to Vladivostok without authorization from his superiors. His encounter with a Russian girlfriend, whom he met in South Korea, took an unexpected turn, leading to accusations of theft after their disagreement.

 

The sequence of events unfolds as Black's girlfriend reports the alleged theft to local authorities, prompting his detention. Despite already purchasing tickets back to the US, the soldier faces pre-trial detention until July 2, pending further legal proceedings.

 

The case highlights the delicate balance between personal relationships, international travel, and legal repercussions. With tensions between the US and Russia already strained, the arrest adds another layer of complexity to diplomatic relations.

 

As negotiations continue between Washington and Moscow, concerns over wrongful detention persist. The case of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in 2023, looms large, alongside others deemed to be unlawfully detained. The potential for a hostage exchange underscores the urgency of resolving such cases and preventing further escalation.

 

As the US advises against travel to Russia, the case of Staff Sgt Gordon Black serves as a cautionary tale.

 

2024-05-08

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

 

As a serving US senior NCO, a dirty weekend in Vladivostok was probably, on balance, not a good idea. A Russian girlfriend? Didn't they used to call it a "honey trap"?

I wonder if he is employed in an "area of interest" for the Russians? Mind you, since Lance Corporals in the National Guard seem to be able to splash secret material all over the internet, I also wonder why they bothered

So the ideological conflict is pretty one sided.

Iran, or more accurately the regime which is in power in Iran, is committed to destroying Israel (and the Jews).

The"Red Sea Pedestrians" have the bare faced temerity to defend themselves!

4 hours ago, sandyf said:

Apologies if English is not your first language.

English is, as I am sure you are very much aware, my first language.

Your apparent failure to understand the use of quotation marks around the word "pint", in the context of my post, may for some raise that question about you. I however do not doubt that it is your first language; preferring (as I have already hinted) to ascribe your misunderstanding to your enthusiasm to display your cleverness.

As this is the "community pub", the place for perhaps more direct commenting than other forums, perhaps we should end the matter by marking this clumsy attempt at an insult as a rather ignominious fail!

9 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

Yes, it is Thailand, and they serve beer in their own (Thai) measures, based on the metric system.

 

The "pint" to them is simply a term, borrowed from the English language, applied to a glass of beer rather than a unit of measurement. In a similar way German and other European languages will have their own terms for a beer.

 

It is further complicated by the fact that an American "pint" at 16 fluid ounces is 20% smaller than a British "pint" at 20 fluid ounces.

35 minutes ago, sandyf said:

You are wrong, the "pint" is a defined unit of measure, being one eighth of a gallon for liquids in both the British Imperial System and the US Customary System.

The pint is not a unit of measure in the metric system of measurement for liquids.

Whilst I appreciate you are far wiser than me on these (and I am sure many other matters) perhaps I could draw on your penchant for pedantry and point out, as have several others, that I was suggesting that in this context "pint" was used as a colloquial description of a glass of beer rather than as a specific measure.

3 hours ago, NoshowJones said:

So if an Indian guy asks for a full pint then four straws will come with it? 😃

You joke! But last week three Indian blokes wandered into a bar I frequent, ordered two large bottles of beer. Two of them drank from glasses, the third from the bottle. They attempted (quite loudly as it happens) to persuade (without success) one of the girls to go with them!

They absolutely hitched their wagon to the Chinese mass tourism phenomenon.

The Chinese stopped coming, due to COVID and the Chinese economic troubles.

The (unlikely) prospect of a Formula 1 race around the streets of Bangkok ( my giddy aunt, just imagine it!) is not going to resurrect that model.

19 hours ago, bob smith said:

This is Thailand and it's a Thai forum. Nothing at all to do with India.

 

Bob.

Yes, it is Thailand, and they serve beer in their own (Thai) measures, based on the metric system.

The "pint" to them is simply a term, borrowed from the English language, applied to a glass of beer rather than a unit of measurement. In a similar way German and other European languages will have their own terms for a beer.

It is further complicated by the fact that an American "pint" at 16 fluid ounces is 20% smaller than a British "pint" at 20 fluid ounces.

I think I would be far more concerned if there were any Israeli TV or news channels allowed to operate and report from Qatar!

17 hours ago, Startmeup said:

I told you already, Angeles City in the Philippines is known as the city with the highest density of libraries on the planet.
There's no where better suited for you, Get after it. 

Do they cater for enthusiasts for data analyse and the psychometrics of statistics?

Asking for a friend who runs a bookshop, last seen with glazed eyes muttering about balconies..

6 hours ago, RayC said:

 

You make It sound like something anti-democratic has occurred when in reality, normal process is being followed, albeit the matter is taking longer to resolve than usual.

 

The Netherlands has a system of proportional representation. 

Wilders' - the leader of the PVV party - won the largest proportion of the vote. However, at 23% this is far below the 50+% threshold needed to form a government and he must therefore seek coalition partners, which is what he is currently trying to do.

If one is to believe the Guardian (the irrefutable and unimpeachable source of commentary and news on European politics?) the government being formed, under the direction of a veteran socialist senator (himself neither directly elected nor representative of the views expressed by the Dutch electorate) will consist of a number of experienced politicians, and a number of selected technically experts.

In other words, the "old gang" will continue in power. Most explicitly not what the people voted for in November.

On 5/4/2024 at 1:13 PM, at15 said:

Cardiovascular health is the major problem, especially for males, heart disease and erectile dysfunction much higher with pm2.5 pollution.

Could be the way forward, convince the " burners" that if they set fires their willys will stop working!

On 5/3/2024 at 5:24 AM, Social Media said:

In the lead-up to the event, all eyes will be on Malmo as artists, fans, and activists converge for a spectacle that transcends borders and languages.

It is a spectacle that transcends reality!

On 5/4/2024 at 3:38 AM, Social Media said:

Former President Trump has refuted claims that he was sleeping during his hush money case trial, asserting that he merely closes his eyes to "listen intensely" and absorb the proceedings. Dismissing reports from reporters in the courtroom, Trump took to Truth Social to address what he deemed "FAKE NEWS MEDIA" coverage of the trial.

Now that the protesters/occupiers are slowly being cleared from the various campuses, some remarkable footage has emerged of the damage, graffiti and vandalized furnishings which they left behind.

It seems quite reasonable to me that those who caused the damage should neither graduate nor be permitted to return to university, which is after all a considerable privilege, until the bill for cleaning up and restoration is met.

How they meet that bill is of course up to them - Hamas' multi millionaire leaders may care to dip into their swollen bank accounts...

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

am totally unbiased here, unlike you, but you don't want to talk about that. 

😂😂😂  

1 hour ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

 

What she didn't mention is that the Dutch people elected a candidate for Prime Minister, who espoused those views, when was it, last November?

6 months on he has still not been allowed to form a government, and the old gang, emphatically rejected in that election are still in power.

27 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

After the muslims kill off the jews and the christians the world will be at peace... RIGHT!?

Well then the Shia will start on the Sunnis, the Sunnis on the Shia, both groups will of course exterminate the Suffis, and the Yezerdis; more killing rape and slaughter for the prophet "peace be upon him"!