In Soviet Russia....

Off Topic
141

[quote]Edevus wrote:

[quote]guhkes wrote:

[quote]Edevus wrote:
The official story is that the Soviet Union coerced Estonia to use their bases, roads, etc. to move their army. They eventually stayed (Nazi ‘liberation’ in between) and when the USSR collapsed, the occupation ended.

Before the occupation, Estonia had been independent, for first time, for around 20 years and it was growing up very fast. It was more advanced than Finland back then and a BBC (could be something else) reporter visited it in the early 30s and was impressed. He also found lots of people who could speak English and German (business language back then).

So what is the fairy tale being told to Russian children STILL at this point? Estonia was very poor after splitting from the glorious Mother Russia, so they needed help. The Soviet Union went there to liberate them from the nazis and stayed to help the country, and now those evil Estonians want to kick Russians out![/quote]

I know what you mean Edevus. Finland was made the same “offers on land rental” from Soviets than Latvia, Lithuenia and Estonia. We just didn’t give in so Winter War begun, started by Soviets (by staging a border incident). We put up a good fight, but lost eventually. Soviets didn’t write about these war in their history books at all, until the collapse of the USSR. We tried to get the invaded land back later when Germany went for the home run in the East, that didn’t workout well either at the end.

All this was going on and meanwhile in Sweden (our beloved neighbour):

Great stories, I know what’s been going on there, but when someone, who actually has lived that life, tells you all this, it makes it more real.[/quote]

Finland was clever and strong. Killed something like a million of Soviets, sided with Hitler when required, and then befriended the Soviets after the war so they could be “left alone”.

Any other decision and they may had ended under the Iron Curtain. [/quote]

Suomi perkele!! ;))

Mannerheim rules!

142

[quote]Testy1 wrote:
Congrats Doc, best wishes!
[/quote]

Thanks, I’ll let you guys know what she says.

143

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:

[quote]Tex Ag wrote:
You are on this site so I assume you are working out. Based on what you have said about food availability it does not sound like there was any sort of gym culture. What gave you the lifting bug?[/quote]

No, unless you were selected to be an athlete there was not much need or opportunity to “work out.” Besides, with the kind of work most people did and how little we had to eat it would have been impossible.

My girlfriend got me started lifting. She actually does amateur fitness competitions. Anyone who goes to figure competitions in the Western PA area has actually probably seen us there. When we started dating 3 years ago, I weighed about 120 pounds. Now I weigh 225 at 15-17% BF. I am thinking about starting a training log over in the Over 35 section with pics and all that.

A bit off topic, but I am actually proposing to her tomorrow at dinner.[/quote]

Awesome!

A little heads up. In the gap of time from your last word to her yes, each second feels like an hour. Remember to breathe.

144

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:

[quote]orion wrote:

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:

A bit off topic, but I am actually proposing to her tomorrow at dinner.[/quote]

Good luck!

You know of course that if you ever have kids you will have fits of rage how spoiled rotten they are?

They will complain because all their friends will have one kind of sneakers and why cant they and its all soooooo unfaaaaaiiiiir… and you will curse in Russian. [/quote]

Thanks. I may get annoyed at my kids for that kind if stuff, but I will always love spoiling them and giving them the things I never had as a child.
[/quote]

Write your book and then get it peer reviewed. That way you have proof that you did not have ___________.

145

[quote]Tex Ag wrote:

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:

[quote]Tex Ag wrote:
You are on this site so I assume you are working out. Based on what you have said about food availability it does not sound like there was any sort of gym culture. What gave you the lifting bug?[/quote]

No, unless you were selected to be an athlete there was not much need or opportunity to “work out.” Besides, with the kind of work most people did and how little we had to eat it would have been impossible.

My girlfriend got me started lifting. She actually does amateur fitness competitions. Anyone who goes to figure competitions in the Western PA area has actually probably seen us there. When we started dating 3 years ago, I weighed about 120 pounds. Now I weigh 225 at 15-17% BF. I am thinking about starting a training log over in the Over 35 section with pics and all that.

A bit off topic, but I am actually proposing to her tomorrow at dinner.[/quote]

Awesome!

A little heads up. In the gap of time from your last word to her yes, each second feels like an hour. Remember to breathe.[/quote]

Thanks for the heads up, I’ll keep that in mind.

146

[quote]Tex Ag wrote:

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:

[quote]orion wrote:

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:

A bit off topic, but I am actually proposing to her tomorrow at dinner.[/quote]

Good luck!

You know of course that if you ever have kids you will have fits of rage how spoiled rotten they are?

They will complain because all their friends will have one kind of sneakers and why cant they and its all soooooo unfaaaaaiiiiir… and you will curse in Russian. [/quote]

Thanks. I may get annoyed at my kids for that kind if stuff, but I will always love spoiling them and giving them the things I never had as a child.
[/quote]

Write your book and then get it peer reviewed. That way you have proof that you did not have ___________.[/quote]

HA! That is a great idea. I will also make it a point to take them to Russia and India often so they understand how good they have it (and to visit our families of course).

147

Very interesting thread. Have never actually heard from someone who lived there. Keep going.

From what you?ve said, it sounds like you accepted the party line about the West during the Soviet era. I?d be interested in hearing more about that. Also, were you even conscious of being deprived? If you had no standard of comparison, you might think you were actually doing pretty well. Also ? DAYS without food? Really? I can?t imagine that even if I had nothing to do but lie in bed…

Definitely think you should write a book. And good luck tomorrow night!

148

[quote]nrt wrote:
Very interesting thread. Have never actually heard from someone who lived there. Keep going.

From what you?ve said, it sounds like you accepted the party line about the West during the Soviet era. I?d be interested in hearing more about that. Also, were you even conscious of being deprived? If you had no standard of comparison, you might think you were actually doing pretty well. Also ? DAYS without food? Really? I can?t imagine that even if I had nothing to do but lie in bed…

Definitely think you should write a book. And good luck tomorrow night!
[/quote]

Thanks, man. And, yes we all believed the propaganda. Those who didn’t either kept their mouths shut or disappeared. Anyone even suggesting that the Soviet Union was anything other than a utopia and the West was destitute and evil and corrupt was taken away and ever heard from again. Western countries would airdrop pamphlets and stuff in occasionally, but anyone caught with one also disappeared so we just burned them. Even to this day, many people who lived in the Soviet Union will swear that it was much better. Those people were either among the few well connected enough to have a god life or thoroughly brainwashed. Near the end when we were granted more freedoms and could even criticize the government to a certain extent, my parents taught us about the bullshit of the Soviet propaganda machine.

149

I have a History degree (worthless yes, interesting yes, and my focus was 20th century) So all of this is very fascinating, nothing like first hand, primary sources.

Curious how “athletes” were selected, i assume you had to know someone and/or be born into?

Also did the military offer a better life? I know getting shot at, sometimes by your fellow soldiers was possible, but it seemed like they were atleast fed alright? Did the logic of if you cant beat them, join them apply?

150

Congrats Doc!

Good luck.

151

[quote]Aggv wrote:
I have a History degree (worthless yes, interesting yes, and my focus was 20th century) So all of this is very fascinating, nothing like first hand, primary sources.

Curious how “athletes” were selected, i assume you had to know someone and/or be born into?

Also did the military offer a better life? I know getting shot at, sometimes by your fellow soldiers was possible, but it seemed like they were atleast fed alright? Did the logic of if you cant beat them, join them apply? [/quote]

Knowing people did help, but it wasn’t necessary. During primary school, we were all given a series of aptitude, IQ, and physical tests. From that, our career paths were chosen and laid out and that was that. Some people had a bit of a choice in what they did, and others didn’t. I broke the curve in all of the mental tests and was allowed to go to university at 14 thanks to my parents teaching us. My brother and sister also went to university early. I had a bit of a choice in what I did so I chose to study physics and mathematics.

No, being in the army did not mean a better life. Most of the ranks were as bad off as the rest of us. Only after climbing the ranks for a long time did one have a better life. And it wasn’t really an application process. You were told if you going to be in the army.

152

[quote]Christine wrote:
Congrats Doc!

Good luck. [/quote]

Thanks. She definitely knows something is up. She has been commenting about how weird I have been acting these past few days.

153

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:

[quote]Christine wrote:
Congrats Doc!

Good luck. [/quote]

Thanks. She definitely knows something is up. She has been commenting about how weird I have been acting these past few days. [/quote]

The future Mrs Dr.Matt is from India, correct?

Are you doing the traditional Indian wedding?

154

Probably a stupid question, but I’m going to ask it.

I saw a video at work today about this Russian billionaire with a 400’ yacht costing $350 million. It had 3 pools and a little garage for all his smaller boats. It made me think … I hear that in modern Russia, you are either filthy rich or dirt poor with almost nothing in between. I would imagine the people running Yukos are living large and 99.999% of the oil rig workers don’t get shit for compensation. Truth?

EDIT: I just looked up the article. Submarine dock, 9 exits, 2 helicopter pads, gardens, movie theater, restuarant, etc. I wonder what the typical Russian thinks about this shit, especially if their grocery stores are still bare.

155

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:

[quote]Christine wrote:
Congrats Doc!

Good luck. [/quote]

Thanks. She definitely knows something is up. She has been commenting about how weird I have been acting these past few days. [/quote]

Maybe she reads this forum? She is a fitness athlete…

156

[quote]Christine wrote:

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:

[quote]Christine wrote:
Congrats Doc!

Good luck. [/quote]

Thanks. She definitely knows something is up. She has been commenting about how weird I have been acting these past few days. [/quote]

Maybe she reads this forum? She is a fitness athlete…[/quote]
You start your new job Monday, right? Good luck!

/hijack

157

[quote]imhungry wrote:

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:

[quote]Christine wrote:
Congrats Doc!

Good luck. [/quote]

Thanks. She definitely knows something is up. She has been commenting about how weird I have been acting these past few days. [/quote]

The future Mrs Dr.Matt is from India, correct?

Are you doing the traditional Indian wedding?[/quote]

This is interesting. I know that she is Indian, but I thought I remember Doc saying that she was Christian in another thread. I could just be misremembering and maybe he said that she was religious and I assumed Christian.

158

[quote]imhungry wrote:

[quote]Christine wrote:

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:

[quote]Christine wrote:
Congrats Doc!

Good luck. [/quote]

Thanks. She definitely knows something is up. She has been commenting about how weird I have been acting these past few days. [/quote]

Maybe she reads this forum? She is a fitness athlete…[/quote]
You start your new job Monday, right? Good luck!

/hijack[/quote]

Tuesday! :slight_smile: Don’t know why Tuesday, but whatever! Working is good!

159

[quote]imhungry wrote:

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:

[quote]Christine wrote:
Congrats Doc!

Good luck. [/quote]

Thanks. She definitely knows something is up. She has been commenting about how weird I have been acting these past few days. [/quote]

The future Mrs Dr.Matt is from India, correct?

Are you doing the traditional Indian wedding?[/quote]

Yes, she is from India. Belagaavi to be exact, but she converted to Christianity a while back so we will probably be doing the whole church wedding thing assuming she says yes.

160

[quote]Christine wrote:

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:

[quote]Christine wrote:
Congrats Doc!

Good luck. [/quote]

Thanks. She definitely knows something is up. She has been commenting about how weird I have been acting these past few days. [/quote]

Maybe she reads this forum? She is a fitness athlete…[/quote]

Maybe, but I don’t think so. She is not really into computers and internet forums and stuff like that.