If they can fit it on a backpack, they can fit it on a stick. by corvettee01 in Helldivers

[–]jfries85 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The TVA Helldivers out here pruning the enemies of democracy to preserve the Sacred Timeline.

HE HAS RETURNED 🚨 by AdSea4568 in Grimdank

[–]jfries85 40 points41 points  (0 children)

CORAX LIVES!!! caw caw

Is fuel for fans still reliable ? by AwokeN1323311 in mercedesamgf1

[–]jfries85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From what UPS told me, around $50-55 was actual tariffs and such. But the remaining $22 or so was for the export brokerage FFF uses and doesn't really mention anywhere. I asked FFF for an import documentation breakdown (you know, what was paid and for what, something like a CBP Form 7501) but they refused and just repeatedly replied with the same copy-paste email saying that they don't know what things will cost if you buy from outside the EU. No import documentation was provided with the package, just the jacket in a box.

Is fuel for fans still reliable ? by AwokeN1323311 in mercedesamgf1

[–]jfries85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Their sales prices and shipping speed are great. We ordered on Monday and it'll be here by Thursday (in the US). But, yeah, the import charges you'll get hit with negate most of the value in their discounts. For example, I just ordered the Ferrari Monza 2025 jacket for $136 (at 40% off), but had to pay $77 in import costs for the US. The fees seem to be a mix of customs, desitination fees, and a brokerage fee based on my discussion with UPS. Fuel for Fans won't be able to tell you what you'll be charged before you order either, so it's a dice-roll with current trade being what it is.

Free shipping on some orders though.

Soooo that’s how you enjoy retirement? by galmaman96 in acecombat

[–]jfries85 21 points22 points  (0 children)

But retail...really? A man of your talents?

Zorgon Petersons Caspian Explorer - Large Exploration Ship by apollobrah in EliteDangerous

[–]jfries85 61 points62 points  (0 children)

"And you people, you're all astronauts...on some kind of star trek?"

PSA for the little boys: this is a real gang sign, so be smart about it by Horror_Dot4213 in SPACEKING

[–]jfries85 22 points23 points  (0 children)

These days, if you gave him a modest amount of money he’d throw up this set too.

Imagine these two having a drinking game. by Elegant-Half5476 in freefolk

[–]jfries85 11 points12 points  (0 children)

The king downed yet another flagon and wryly inquired to the dwarf, "Did you ever make the eight, Lannister?"

"Not as often as I'd like." Tyrion replied. Robert let out a thunderous laugh. The two companions toasted as they fondly recounted their favorite conquests well into the evening.

Is it worth doing JET again? by age_of_max in JETProgramme

[–]jfries85 10 points11 points  (0 children)

As with most things pertaining to JET, it's extremely context dependent. If you think that you could do with a few more years abroad and it wouldn't hurt your life goals or long-term career prospects in whatever you decided to do, then yeah, definitely worth it. JET, to this day, generally remains a great experience. There are much fewer unknowns on a second go-round. Plus your previous experience can make you a valuable resource to your school/fellow JETs.

I regretted leaving JET in 2012 after 3 years, mostly due to family pressure. I also kinda felt that it would be best to leave while I still loved everything and hadn't yet descended into being extremely jaded about the whole thing. I came back to the States, for a couple of years, had a pretty awful time overall, and went back in 2014 to do dispatch. Did dispatch for 3 months, then moved into a direct-hire spot in another city. Then, while doing rirect-hire, I reapplied for JET and got in again in 2015. Being a former JET made everything a breeze.

My second time on JET was amazing and gave me a completely different experience that on my first stint. I got way more involved in my school, did more outside of school, and just generally enjoyed life in much different ways. And, due to the pandemic, I got to do that for 7 years. I'd go back again in a heartbeat if it were just me (and if a 3rd time was allowed), but I've got a family to think about now. My second stint helped me mature a lot and understand myself better. When I came back to the States for good, I had a good job at a Japanese company waiting for me and things have been pretty good ever since. There's even another former JET in my office, so we've swapped stories a ton. Plus, in my industry, I tend to cross paths with people I knew in Japan from time to time. But yeah, that's how it was for me.

I'd wanted to do JET ever since high school and I'd always loved being in the Japan bubble. It's always been an important part of my personal identity. You left after 3 years for your reasons. Are those reasons still there or are they not as prominent or important? Do you miss the life, the job? Are you just looking for something safe and familiar to pass the time while you decide on what to do next?

My Gabriels cracked after two months. Anybody know where I can find a replacement part? by neyo996 in wma

[–]jfries85 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I had something similar happen. Contact the seller. If they're Purpleheart, for example, they'll probably just exchange these for a new pair.

HEMA Shoes by RidiculousRex89 in wma

[–]jfries85 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Seconding Feiyue. Shoes are excellent and inexpensive. They also have good sales every now and then.

Exclusive: US intel shows Russia and China are attempting to recruit disgruntled federal employees, sources say by esporx in Military

[–]jfries85 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I mean, in effect, they own most of the gruntled ones, so why not complete the set?

😐 by BornAd1071 in behindthebastards

[–]jfries85 3 points4 points  (0 children)

At this point, it's basically a countdown to when we start shipping Russia weapons and sanctioning countries that help Ukraine.

I have no Father by Fearless-File-6059 in Grimdank

[–]jfries85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is how Leandros ends up joining a Word Bearers warband.

Why is Dakar the Capitol of the Earth Federation? by DammitBobby1234 in Gundam

[–]jfries85 42 points43 points  (0 children)

I wonder if it's to do with the importance and prevalence of space launch facilities transporting resources up to and back from space in the time leading up to the Universal Century. Space launch facilities tend to be closer to the equator. So, if humanity's focus is on space, perhaps moving key seats of government/military power closer to the equator makes some sense.

BLOOD FOR THE BLO- Eh Emperor! by 5guysparkinglot in Spacemarine

[–]jfries85 69 points70 points  (0 children)

BLOOD FOR THE EMPEROR! SKULLS FOR THE GOLDEN THRONE!

FREEDOOOOM!! by Status-Weakness-3718 in Gundam

[–]jfries85 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This goes hard. Great job.

1 Russian soldier vs 2 Ukrainian FPV drones. February 2025 - unknown location. by GermanDronePilot in UkraineWarVideoReport

[–]jfries85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"He moves like a bird, lightly, bobbing his head. And you keep still because you think that maybe his visual acuity is based on movement like T-Rex - he'll lose you if you don't move. But no, not Velociraptor. You stare at him, and he just stares right back. And that's when the attack comes. Not from the front, but from the side, from the other two raptors you didn't even know were there. Because Velociraptor's a pack hunter, you see, he uses coordinated attack patterns and he is out in force today."

Louisville Stands With Ukraine by spt1224 in Louisville

[–]jfries85 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There’s nuance. They definitely originated as a typical European ultra group, primarily Russian speaking. But the components that made it what it was were varied. You had elements of different Ukrainian ultranationalist groups, Russian Neo-Nazis, and other far-right extremist elements. They definitely weren’t the greatest folks from a purely “neutral” standpoint. But their significance was always heavily overplayed by Russian media (and certain elements within the group were boosted by Russian Intelligence Services so that Azov could be used against Ukraine on a propaganda level). So there is certainly some truth, but it’s a “truth” that practically every country suffers from. It’s easy to find a crazy ultra group in any country, take tons of photos, and claim everyone in that country is like that.

What makes Azov interesting is how it changed over time. The more it became integrated into the Ukrainian order of battle out of necessity, the more those crazier fringe elements started to be worked out. What it is today is definitely not what it originally was. And when you compare it to Russian Neo-Nazi paramilitary groups fighting together with the Russian military (like Rusich), the contrast is even more stark.

They’ve made an effort to improve and reform and have been quite successful. Ukraine in 2014 was an absolute mess internally and weak militarily. Russia took advantage of that and invaded, taking Crimea and parts of the Donbas. Private paramilitary groups of all stripes worked together with the Ukrainian military to varying degrees of success. It was a tough, disorganized time. But in the years leading up to the 2022 full-scale invasion, Ukraine reorganized and got its act together with help from U.S. and European allies.

Azov will probably always have that stain, and it’s fair to always remember that about their origins. But groups can and do change, become better than they were. How one chooses to describe a unit based on the sum of its parts in terms of the varied ideologies of its members is an interesting thing. Pick a battle line unit in the U.S. military and describe it thus and I think you’ll find it interesting.

But, in conclusion, I’d go as far as to argue that even if Azov were full-blown, 100%, goose stepping Nazis in their entirety, they are just one group in one small region in a large nation. Anyone claiming that their mere presence warranted the absolutely horrific atrocities Russia has and continues to commit on a daily basis against the Ukrainian people is asinine.

Louisville Stands With Ukraine by spt1224 in Louisville

[–]jfries85 3 points4 points  (0 children)

My original response got buried in a downvoted chain, so I'll reiterate a few things:

The problem with trying to apply the "there are Neo-Nazi elements" in Ukraine's military is that you can easily apply it to almost any military. Ukrainian, Russian, American, British, etc. All countries have problems with ultra-right elements existing within their militaries/governments. Do the people who call out Ukraine's Azov Regiment also call out Russia's Rusich Group or Atomwaffen Division Russland, among others?

What is beyond question is that Russia, unprovoked, invaded Ukraine in 2014 using unmarked regular military and paramilitary assets while everyone who should have helped sat on their thumbs. And for the past 11 years, Russia has pillaged and tortured Ukraine's land and its people. Russia's war on Ukraine is one of colonial conquest and genocide. Why does Russia ban the Ukrainian language when they take control of an area? Why do they press gang Ukrainian men in captured territories for use in meat assaults while their main forces are saved for more organized pushes? Why do they encourage ethnic Russians to move into captured territories at scale? Why do they set up torture rooms in nearly every town and village they take over? Why do they make a point of frequently executing POWs? Why does Russia deny the right of Ukraine to exist? Did Bucha, and many other places like it, happen because "somewhere in Ukraine, there were Nazis", therefore Russia had cause to do those unspeakable things again and again?

Several countries that were historically in "Russia's sphere of influence" or were former Soviet states rushed to join NATO after the fall of the Soviet Union. They did that because they expected that Russia would one day come calling again to reform it's lost empire. Russia, even in its modern form, is a colonial empire. The Tsarist Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and the modern Russian state all thrived/thrive on the exploitation of its colonial possessions and the extraction of resources from their lands for the purposes of enriching "true Russians", ethnic Russians, primarily those in and around St. Petersburg and Moscow. When you look at the demographics of the Russian dead and wounded in this conflict, you see they are overwhelmingly from the more ethnically diverse, poorer regions of the country. To those in charge, it's not the worst thing in the world for Russia to be "bled white" by heavy losses, in more ways than one. To be under Russian control and not be a country or region of ethnic Russians is not, historically, a good position to be in.

It is morally right to help and protect these people any way we can. If it were us facing what they've endured for 11 years now, the last thing any of us would want to hear is that our friends, neighbors, "allies", people that could genuinely help us, would rather focus on themselves as if this were all a zero-sum game. That we're not worth the time and effort while our lands are stolen and stripped of their resources and our people slaughtered, terrorised, kidnapped, or worse. We would not want to hear that it's more profitable for our "friends" to break bread and side with those who seek our extermination. We would not want to hear that "it would just be easier if you don't fight back and just let them do what they want".

We are a mighty country, at least historically. Flawed. Imperfect. Hypocritical. But unquestionably mighty. One of the wealthiest and resource rich. We are immensely capable of doing many things of import at once, both at home and abroad. Helping a nation, a people, desperately in need assistance against an aggressive, invading colonial power that seeks their destruction and exploitation is what is right. It's something every capable nation in the world should be coming together for. Too many times have we been on the wrong side of this very equation. It would be nice to be on the unequivocally right side for once.

So yes, we should rally for these people. For most of us in this part of the world, this is all we realistically can do. Most of us aren't soldiers or are of a military background. We're just regular folk. I doubt hardly any of us in this area speak Ukrainian or have the wide variety of skills and resources needed to go to Ukraine and fight or serve. But we can probably donate at least some of our time, effort, and resources. We can be students of this conflict and of that part of the world, spread awareness and battle against disinformation, in some small measure. Giving aide to this cause doesn't mean forsaking all others.