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On the beach sunbathing today

I’m looking ok for tommorow now! The remote tuners worked some kind of magic on it!

You do have to go back a long way to get to the nub of the issues here and the article in the Guardian is a decent one. The EU and the West wanted a number of ex Eastern Block countries to pull away from Russian influence and have done so by providing support to groups who opposed Russian influence. In 2013 President Yanukovych was democratically elected after re runs in an election that was seen as fair. There was going to be a closer free trade agreement with the EU and freedom of movement prior to his re election which theyoung in particular wanted. In the end the president decided to not sign it and renewed ties with Russia. This led to protests and eventually the government was overthrown in 2014, with the EU supportive of the change. At that time there were three distinct Pro Russian areas, one being Crimea and that was where the Russian Black Sea Fleet was based. Denying them use of that would be ideal for NATO but unsurprisingly not Putin and Russia. The response was inevitable and the West did nothing but tut tut as they wanted cheap oil etc. So fast forward to now and there was renewed calls to join NATO and the EU, Putin acted. I think he has underestimated the reaction this time and is now somewhat cornered hence his increasingly bizarre comments. Is he mad, no but he has no one to tell him he has lost the plot militarily as descent is a fatal mistake in his team. even now if he wins what will his prize be? The media on both sides of a conflict is never truthful all the time, a few pictures of dead children is certain to whip up anger, rightly so, in Russia they have the same revulsion but they see dead Russian soldiers instead. Now from my travels I have met many Russians and never met a blood thirsty one, but their history in WW2 is why they fear war and when they go to war they want to win. They lost 27 million lives in that conflict, by contrast the UK and US were less than 500,000 each and France 600000, China lost 20 million. They are no more warmongers than we are in the general population I meet people from all over the world and stereotypical comments are usually from one source not from experience. Those I meet are wanting the same as us, a good safe life it is always the business men and politicians who want more and will risk war to get it. I think this thread has been conducted well but it is the sign of a healthy democracy that opposing views can be made. Lets leave the name calling It is my opinion it is the Russian people who will help end this. Witness the brave protesters on the streets being carried away. As sanctions bite they will be the ones who make the most noise

Ha ha, A tenners a drop in the ocean when your comparing to modifying westfields. Might as well have set fire to my wallet😂 I’ve got a ME221 MX5 specialist recommended by the manufacturer looking at it remotely now! So maybe a glimmer of hope for tommorow 🤞

Don’t miss out just for the sake of owing £10!! Must be running out of excuses soon 😀😀

thanks for letting me know Rob and have a good run in the brill, glad you got sorted and see you tomorrow☀️

Many of the new rules are "should" rather than "must". This is a key and crucial piece of understanding that will blow by the average tabloid reader. I do agree that not much has changed. Much of what I would consider to be common sense and good manners has simply been codified for the hard of thinking.

I’d be interested Paul, as Kingsters on route pit crew, he can’t function without me on the motorway 😁

That's worked thanks Mate I owe you a carrot next meet 😁

No, that would never happen, he'd kill them all or throw them in prison. The Russian people will never speak out in large enough numbers to make any difference. You can see this in the recent media interviews of Russian people, it's very clear they will not speak out. We're still thinking like westerners. Now as for racism, well they're white and they're mostly Christian, although 70% of Russia is actually in Asia. The only thing that really separates us is location and political ideology. My comments don't come from UK media outlets, they come from my experience and in talking to friends, family, work colleagues from Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia and other Eastern European countries. In fact one Polish colleague, about 4 years ago, had much harsher words for Russia and it's people than I would ever dare to repeat. I tend to believe there are good and bad everywhere, but this colleague he was not so "enlightened", he also commented that a certain other EE country was "just as bad". Some pretty good, or at least interesting explanations of Ukraine/Russia "issues" from before the narrative changed. https://www.vox.com/2014/9/3/18088560/ukraine-everything-you-need-to-know https://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2014/mar/06/ukraine-crisis-great-power-oil-gas-rivals-pipelines

Never! It’s a timeless classic. I can’t see anyone pushing it too hard with passengers

These threads have been exceptionally well conducted on the whole. However racist and bigoted comments are not acceptable under any circumstances.

Also not forgetting the Salisbury poisonings and the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko.

Your comparing apples with bananas. There's only 1 reason that Russia would want a military presence in Cuba. Ukraine wanting to protect or better itself by joining the EU or Nato does not signal that they were doing so to attack Russia. No one is doubting his intelligence. But the fact remains he's either lost the plot or he's been putting on a facade for decades and he's now been unable to hide it any longer. But are you seriously denying he doesn't have a screw loose? Have you seen his recent addresses? Seen how he talks to his advisors? The fact he's now pushed through a law banning anyone reporting facts other than the government approved 'news' and threatening 15 years in prison for doing so shows just how desperate he is to stop the normal Russian people from actually finding the truth. The simple fact is he did a trial run of this taking crimea and no-one did anything. They shot down a civilian airliner full of innocent people and no-one did anything. If he's allowed to continue his plan without anyone doing anything then this won't stop until he's taken back the whole soviet union.

Interesting (if not a bit mental) viewpoint. I was under the impression a crazy deluded dictator who wants to leave his name in history started this? Difference is Ukraine haven't got into bed with anyone (yet). They aren't in the EU. They aren't in nato. Is it not an independant country's right to decide who their allies are? Or should everyone lay down now and just let putin have the whole continent to himself?

The west started this, but only Ukraine can finish it. If Nato gets troops on the ground it WILL start WW3 and Russia will not hesitate to use nuclear force. If Ukraine still had nukes (the west made them get rid of them) Russia wouldn't be invading right now. If Russia got into bed with Canada, or Mexico, or I don't know maybe Cuba? Does anyone think the US would not react in the same way Russia have? Our leaders have not learned from history and they have failed to understand that you don't go around poking communist countries with a great big stick, not everyone puts the same value on human life in the way the west does...... And Russians? most are mental, absolutely mental, win at all costs, even if you die in the process. Think Taliban with weapons advanced enough to not need suicide bombers. How does a western civilised nation even begin to comprehend this? Ukraines only hope is to put up enough of a fight to get Russia to the negotiating table.

Nothing has really changed, cyclists could always cycle centre lane, or not use cycle lanes by choice, or ride 2 abreast. Pedestrians always had right of way crossing junctions and you were always supposed to slow and give space to horses. The whole purpose has been to remove the false hierarchy which has been created on the roads, where basically it's top down from most expensive vehicle, biggest vehicle, brand of vehicle, etc etc. The media has just been kicking up a stink to wind up drivers, to increase hostilities, and i'm not biting.

Went for a trip to the lakes with my mate.😁

For those who ask: “Why does Ukraine matter? “ Ukraine ranks: 1st in Europe in reserves of uranium ores; 2nd in Europe (10th in World) for titanium ore reserves; 2nd in World in manganese (12% of world's reserves) 2nd largest iron ore reserves in World (30 B tons); 2nd in Europe for mercury ore reserves; 3rd in Europe (13th in World) in gas reserves; 4th in World by the total value of natural resources; 7th place in World in coal reserves (33.9 B tons) Ukraine is an important agricultural country that can meet the needs of 600 M people. Which Russia needs in their present economic situation. 1st in Europe in terms of arable land area; World's 3rd largest area of black soil (25% of world's volume); World's 1st largest exports of sunflower and sunflower oil; 2nd world in barley production (4th largest exporter); World's 3rd largest producer (4th largest exporter) of corn; 4th largest World producer of potatoes; 5th largest World rye producer; 5th in world bee production (75,000 tons); World's 8th largest wheat exporter; World's 9th largest egg producer; Ukraine matters...That is why its independence is important to the rest of the world and why Russia wants it so badly.

I won't be making it tomorrow, I'm going to stay local I think... been a stressful old week at work and I'm bushwhacked!