The Well: wpr101

[Fabulous]

What are your thoughts on Wikileaks?

[Rampage_Jackson]

Why?

The parties don't represent the people anymore, it used to be much more simple in the past...

If you thought social programs were good you could vote Democrat, if you thought the free market was best vote Republican... now they both spend out of control.

If you wanted a strong America you could vote Republican, if you wanted a more diplomacy based America vote Democrat... now voting Republican means endless war.

Both parties support out of control spending. Democrats through unfunded social programs, and Republicans through war. The country is broke but they want to increase spending more.

---

On the 2nd point of no where to hide. All the governments of the world are inflating the money supply. The Bank of Japan, European Central Bank, and US Federal Reserve are pursuing similar policies. Create as much money as possible, hope one of the other guys goes busto first.

I'll give you a poker analogy :D It's a 3 person tourney where top 2 get paid, and 1st gets significantly more than 2nd. The three players are America, Europe, and Japan. Everybody's strategy right now is let somebody bust in 3rd and then we can play for the real money. They are all racing to the bottom with no end in sight.

Deadwood is awesome

Nice! It's rare to meet another fan of this series.

[Rampage_Jackson]

Do you find Estonian pizzas good? Which one has been the best so far?

I'd say it's about average. Pizza Americana is the best (imo)... I like the deep dish. There's also Caravan pizza near Swisshotel which stays about 24 hours and has decent pizza. I like eating at Caravan because it has sentimental value to me, it was the first resturant I ate at when I came to Estonia :D

And, are Americans really that spoiled? (Check the picture)

I've explain the difference between employment in the US vs Estonia in the following way:

American will say: OMG I got a 6% bonus this year, this is fucking bullshit, Bob down the hall got an 8% bonus and did less work

Estonian will say: It's nice that I have a job, I am thankful to have this job

It's a bit of an exerageration maybe... however in the US if you go to the Post Office or bank, they are garunteed to have a bad attitude. In Estonia they treat you much more like a real customer or client. It's really refreshing.

There is an entitlement culture in America. Since "we are the best" is the how the average American thinks, they believe they are owed something.

Some people in America have got pissed at me already for saying there are better places to live than America right now. They take this as a personal attack, and think you are full of shit.

Compare this to Estonia where if you told someone there are better places to live than Estonia almost 100% would agree with you. Heck, I even have a really tough time convincing people I moved to Estonia voluntarily and that I am not a tourist or a student :D

[Rampage_Jackson]

What are your thoughts on Wikileaks?

I think it's good. There is way too much secrecy. Many people say it is un-American, supporting terrorism, or un-patriotic. Generally these people are unaware of what the US government has done in the past.

Details of the 1960s CIA mind control program were released in the 1970s. It is fucking insane what they did. They did more extreme stuff than I ever heard the KGB of doing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKULTRA

"The Deputy Director of the CIA revealed that over thirty universities and institutions were involved in an "extensive testing and experimentation" program which included covert drug tests on unwitting citizens "at all social levels, high and low, native Americans and foreign." Several of these tests involved the administration of LSD to "unwitting subjects in social situations." At least one death, that of Dr. Olson, resulted from these activities. The Agency itself acknowledged that these tests made little scientific sense. The agents doing the monitoring were not qualified scientific observers."

I don't trust the American government at all right now, and the most I've learned about past events, they seem like any other corrupt government. It's nice to see something like wikileaks keeping them honest a bit.

[Rampage_Jackson]

Thank you for the great Well guys! Many of the questions were pretty challanging, and I think I learned a lot just by thinking and answering them.

I may still check the thread like once a month or so, but do not expect prompt responses.

[virukunn]

How much do you know about the tension between Estonia and Russia and the "hatred" between the two nations ?
Do you believe Russia could attack Estonia in the next 10 years (like they did with Georgia) ?
Do you believe USA and other NATO participants will help Estonia if we get attacked ?

These are 3 big pseudo-problems in Estonia right now, but they havent gone off without a reason.

[mikk2468]

Is political corruption a problem in the US?
What do you hate the most (anything counts, for example: lying, some song etc)?
Favourite car?
Dream place to live?
Can you cook? If you can what's your best dish?
Is it wierd and unexpected that so many people speak english pretty well in Estonia?

[fyte]

If you had to start grinding yourself up from 100$, what games would you concentrate on?

[Rampage_Jackson]

Great questions! Will be interested in hearing if my viewpoint is accurate, or off base for reasons I don't get...

How much do you know about the tension between Estonia and Russia and the "hatred" between the two nations ?

I think so as I've read quite a bit of Baltic history. I know of the random deportations the Soviet Union did in the 1940s/50s. The relocation of Soviet citizens to Estonia and "Russification".

One of the more surprising things I've learned is that not all communism is the same. In places like Prague were there was the Prague Spring, the repression was higher. Also, the Stalinism or the 50s/60s was much different than the "communism" Estonia exprienced in the 1970s and 80s. I was shocked that many people in their 30s, have said they loved the times of 1970s and 80s, and that they had nice childhoods. However, when I've talked to people over 40, they remember it much differently... I think this is because they remember the Stalinism, and view the later parts of communism as more of the same.

The events of 1991 are interesting because they are relatively recent. I know about the Singing Revolution, TV tower, Baltic Chain, etc.

And 2008... the bronze statue of Tallinn, hacking of Estonian government websites, fake Russian riots, and the alcohol ban.

However, I know facts. I don't know what the feeling was like on the street or collective conciousness during this period. I love hearing about personal stories from any of these events.

I was totally shocked by Kiev. I had seen Prague, Tallinn, Riga, and thought I had Eastern Europe figured out :D Kiev was so much different, including things like the people's attitudes. Someone casually mentioned to me that after 1991, supermarkets were closed for 2-3 years and it was just bandits roaming about. Having grown up in America, experiencing something like that is very far from my reality.

Do you believe Russia could attack Estonia in the next 10 years (like they did with Georgia) ?

Yea, it is very possible. When Russia attacked Georgia they did so slowly to see what the international response would be. The international response was pretty pathetic imo... slight condemnation, but scared to talk badly about Russia. I guess the world thought RUSSIA GONNA RUSSIA :D

I disliked Bush strongly, but one thing about him was he was unpredictably aggressive... you know if you value bet the river, he might overbet check raise you allin :D Bush would have likely risked World War 3, just to defend Georgia, but Putin was aware that Obama would do nothing at all being elected on a mandate of "end all wars".

Georgia seems like more of a sitting duck than Estonia. With Estonia being in the EU, on the Euro, and other connections, I think the stronger the ties are to Europe the lower the chances are.

Do you believe USA and other NATO participants will help Estonia if we get attacked ?

They would "help" Estonia, but I highly doubt they would be willing to go to war for it. If Russian invaded Estonia with land forces I think the world would be stunned, but essentially powerless. Russia controls the oil supply to Europe, they have supposedly 1,000+ nukes, some unaccounted for. Nobody has the balls to attack Russia.

At the same time, it seems that inside Russia there are increasing protests again Putin, even Gorbachev called for him to step down! I think something like invading Estonia could set off a wild fire of protests in Russia... I don't believe the Russian people would support an invasion of Estonia at all. It would damage Russia in so many ways to invade Estonia, at the same time, I doubt anybody would offer much more than strong words.

[Rampage_Jackson]

Is political corruption a problem in the US?

Yea it's pretty huge. Most politicans go to Congress not wealthy, and leave millionaires. The Congress recently voted that insider trading on the stock market for Congress is okay lol

What do you hate the most (anything counts, for example: lying, some song etc)?

Rigid belief systems. Whether it be religion, politics, economics, or poker. Belief systems stand for BS, or bull shit :D

Favourite car?

Love Infinitis. Classy and Powerful. Luxury Sport.

Dream place to live?

Tallinn, Estonia

Can you cook? If you can what's your best dish?

I do not know anything about this lol... I would like to learn though.

Is it wierd and unexpected that so many people speak english pretty well in Estonia?

In some ways it is strange because the culture is much different, but same language. Not that surprising in that Estonia is some in the middle to top of English speaking in Europe... what I mean is Estonians speak much better than Spain/Italy/France, but Germany/Finland speak a little bit better.

One insight I just thought of recently, is that when someone approaches you in Estonia, you have no idea whether they are going to start speaking Estonian, English, or Russian. Sometimes I notice that someone does not understand my first couple words but understands perfectly after that. I think that is because they may have been thinking in Estonian, or thinking in Russian, and then I started speaking English and it takes a second for the switch to take place.

[Rampage_Jackson]

If you had to start grinding yourself up from 100$, what games would you concentrate on?

$2-3 sit and gos. Extremely easy to beat, by playing a basic strategy. Also, you can play many of them at once and do not need reads on players.

[Codecci]

$2-3 sit and gos. Extremely easy to beat, by playing a basic strategy. Also, you can play many of them at once and do not need reads on players.

How easy? How long would it take for you to teach someone make $500/month in these (incl rakeback)?

Also, germans speak better english than estonians, really? When I was 17 I visited Berlin, public transport employees and grocery store employees who I interacted with didn't speak any english at all... Maybe I just ran bad.

[bubba]

Most people in Estonia think that their English is way better than it really is. In reality 80% of people who think that they speak fluently actually just speak on an acceptable level. Which is not bad but definetly not as good as they think it is.

Edit: To add a question as well. How ``acceptable`` is the profession of a poker player to your family, friends etc in the US? Compare to Estonia if you can.

[numnuts]

Do you have screeshot made of when you 20+ tableing?

[Romka]

I'd say it's about average. Pizza Americana is the best (imo)... I like the deep dish. There's also Caravan pizza near Swisshotel which stays about 24 hours and has decent pizza. I like eating at Caravan because it has sentimental value to me, it was the first resturant I ate at when I came to Estonia :D

Try Grande Pizza in Old Town.
http://www.pizzagrande.ee/

Also very good pizzas at Mac BBQ at Tartu mnt.
http://www.americanfood.ee/

/OR yes the best pizzas are made at Steffani Pizza, so if you ever go to Pärnu again, be sure to try it out.

[Rage]

You should try pizza at Steffani Pizza at Pärnu and not regular pizza but pan-pizza and take a pizza sauce as well

[privador]

imo skandinavians speak english very well, better than estonians. But estonians are doing very good progress to reach skandinavians engish level.

[numnuts]

Estonians never reach that kinda level only because of accent.

[kjmrc]

You should try pizza at Steffani Pizza at Pärnu and not regular pizza but pan-pizza and take a pizza sauce as well

Word! My favourite pizza-place, definitely worth trying.

[KristjanLaas]

How easy? How long would it take for you to teach someone make $500/month in these (incl rakeback)?

Also, fins speak better english than estonians, really? Imo non of them speak any english at all and get mad if asked to. At least over 30yos

fyp.
Swedes and norwegians is a different story though. Even most children younger than 7 can speak it from my experience.