by Ryan Markiewicz | Jul 4, 2024 | Berlin's Wall
Reprinting this from July 3rd. Was “crazy” at the time. Looking pretty damn good now.
5 of my 6 predictions came true. And the 6th is looking pretty good too now.
Maybe I should NOT have quit betting all those years ago? 🤪
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July 3, 2024
All,
Most of you probably don’t know that back in the day, I was kind of a gambling addict (“kind of” is being generous 🙂 )
It’s not the kind of gambling most of you think of. I could go to Vegas or any casino and not spend a dime. I’m not a fan.
But sports gambling. Because I know sports, I thought I could usually tell who would win. And when you’re right, it seems SO easy. “I knew the Bills were gonna kill ’em”. But when you’re wrong (more often than not), you can’t figure out how you had it so wrong.
I was addicted for years (actually had my own 900 #–Jim Cash. But that’s another story hahaha), but I gave it up cold turkey one night after a U Kansas college basketball game (yet ANOTHER story) and haven’t bet since. I figured it’s much better this way.
BUT…this political situation, with the US Presidential election, has my betting juices flowing again because I see how this is going to play out.
However, I won’t do it (even though I think I would win big), so the next best thing is to lay out my predictions for you guys.
Again, probably all wet on this, and the odds are not in my favor. But if I were to parlay what’s gonna happen (parlay–look it up 😉 ), here’s what I’d bet on:
- Biden drops out–maybe as soon as next week.
- Democrats have to scramble to come up quickly with another candidate (not necessarily Harris), which will be a shitshow. Knives will come out. Lots of Democrats will believe it has to be THEM who runs to beat Trump. Gets ugly. Goes to the convention in Chicago (which was gonna be a circus already with all the protesting that is planned for it).
- Republicans will sit back and chuckle at the Democratic mess. And will count their chickens.
- But someone survives the chaos (democracy is messy), gets selected, and becomes the new, younger candidate, and the Republican humor suddenly turns to “Oh, shit” as
- They realize that the nation is hungry for a younger generation (more than half American’s already don’t want either Biden or Trump) and against anyone other than Biden (and Bernie, hahahaha) Trump is, and looks old. Plus, the younger candidate will be able to call him out on things like “winning 2 club championships” as a reason that he is fit to be the President of the United States.
- And against all odds, the Dems win in November.
As I said, this is a long, long shot. Probably most, maybe none will actually happen.
Just my view of this situation.
(And a good thing I gave up betting 30 years ago, huh? 😉)
Happy Fourth, everyone.
(And America will be ok)
Onward!
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by Ryan Markiewicz | Jul 2, 2024 | Berlin's Wall
All,
One of the many things LP has done since the war is set up hockey camps for some of the Ukraine kids we know (and some we didn’t know). Along with Fedor Zakusilo from Vorex and Brian Lilly from Lilly Broadcasting, we have sponsored camps in Erie, Buffalo, and Romania.
The idea is to give these kids a break from the war, a chance to see the world, to live life more normally and to get to know the LP family (and become a part of it).
The Ukrainian Cultural Exchange Hockey Camp
It’s awesome to see these kids enjoying themselves and getting to live life more normally.
Letting kids be kids. Dima and Max.
Tony and Cindy were the proud hosts of two of the boys, Nikita and Egor. They loved playing with nerf guns and playing basketball.
Last month I had the pleasure of spending a wonderful day in Kyiv with (from L-R) Andriy, Anatoliy, Radmila, Adrian (less than a year old) and Pasha’s Mom, Anna. (Check out all the pucks in the back. All teams/places Anatoliy played in his amazing career.)
If you remember from an earlier Berlin’s Wall, Anatoliy is Pasha’s Dad. He played for the All-Soviet team and for Ukraine and coached the national Ukraine team for years. I was lucky enough to get to share a bit of his mother’s home-made vodka at his lovely home in Kyiv last month.
Wow – How cool is this!
I just got an excited email from Andriy Krutyi (Andriy Cool), head of our Kyiv office, that Anatoliy had dropped off a beautiful Ukraine jersey as a thank you. HOW COOL! For any of you who have visited our global HQ in the historic Erie Union Station, we have a collection of beautiful, meaningful items throughout. But this one that will hang proudly in our Kyiv office is definitely one of the best and most meaningful.
Thank you, Anatoliy.
Onward!
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by Hannah McCall | Jun 28, 2024 | Berlin's Wall
All,
Back home in time to watch the debate last night.
I usually stay out of politics. Not because I don’t follow it, but because after being VERY involved in it for years, I’ve made it much more of a “spectator sport” for me, than being on any field of play.
I made an observation the day this debate was proposed (proposed by Biden, which I thought was odd for the incumbent):
I believed that they wanted this early so that if (IF) Biden clearly came across as too old and frail, and no longer up to the job, it would give the Democratic Party time to get Joe to bow out/pass the baton either before, or at the convention in July.
That’s not a sure thing by a long shot. It may or may not be right, and it may or may not happen.
But…from my own pained observations (a very sad day for Biden and for America, and probably the world as well) EVERYONE this morning is talking about the need for Biden to step aside for another candidate. So it actually might happen.
Would be tricky as hell (Who becomes the new candidate? How does it get decided?) But I do think it’s safe to say that:
IF President Biden stays in as the Democratic nominee, Donald Trump will be the next US President.
I’m not saying that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but I do think that will be the case for sure.
I don’t think that after last night, Biden can win the election.
Of course, Donald Trump completely dodged many of the questions, said all kinds of things that were untrue, or at best half true, and was full of bombast and confidence especially since he quickly realized in the opening minutes that Biden was not up to effectively calling him out/cutting him down. (Honestly, the debate was more like 2 kids pissing all over each other in the school playground much of the time than any real, substantial “debate”. Childish. Golf game? Handicap? 50 yard drives? Club champion? WTF???)
But the good news for those of you who don’t like Trump–is that I think that almost any younger, sharper, ready to take him on could easily win, I think.
I believe that with so many Americans who don’t really want either guy to win, the contrast with someone younger would become more evident, and people would realize that the next generation needs to lead us into the future (for instance–90 minutes and not even a single mention of AI–the new technology that is/will soon be changing the world), not 80-year-olds.
So, back from Ukraine and the Berlin conference and smack dab into the US elections.
There’s an old saying, that many consider a wry curse: “May you live in interesting times.”
We sure do.
Onward!
JB
by Ryan Markiewicz | Jun 27, 2024 | Berlin's Wall
A wonderful visit. Thanks to all who made it such a memorable experience. One that I won’t forget.
We were always in good hands with Zoryana.
With Ole (and his son, Sviatoslav) and OD in Odesa, sharing a meal after THEIR hard day’s work.
Odesa. Life goes on. Even with the war and constant air raid sirens.
A special treat meeting Pasha’s Mom and Dad.
Top row, left to right–Sergio Kovalchuk, Oleksandr Zatsarnyi, Sergii Sous (birthday boy ; ), Petro Onyshchuk, JB, Olesya Tatarinova, Oleksandr Kutsevol, Alina Lozinska. Bottom row, from left–Svitlana Korzun, Cool, Derek (also Cool ; ), Yulia Grischenko (behind), Oksana Onoprienko (in front).
Thanks everyone.
There’s an old trucker saying and since I am an old trucker–to ALL of you who made this such an unforgettable experience for Derek and me—
See you on the flip side. 😉
Onward! 💪
JB
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by Ryan Markiewicz | Jun 26, 2024 | Berlin's Wall
Our last day in Kyiv was another special treat.
First, we stopped back at the office It was our colleague Sergei Sous’ birthday, and (lucky for him, they sell alcohol at those roadside gas stations, remember? 😉) We were able to pick him up a bottle of vodka (his favorite) and present it to him as his birthday gift. Also, everyone loved the LP Hawaiian shirt, so we are ordering a bunch of them. 👍
It was our colleague Sergei Sous’ birthday!
The next morning, I was honored to have breakfast at the home of Pasha’s parents, Anatoliy and Anna. If you look closely, you can see behind us are dozens of hockey pucks Anatoly played for the Soviet National team against the NHL and the other top teams in the world (he even had a Buffalo Sabres puck from when he played vs. the Sabres in the 90’s in Buffalo. Still a big, tough guy 🙂
Pasha’s parents, Anatoliy and Anna.
Andrii and his lovely wife, Radmila (and baby Adrian), joined us. Check out the spread—and this is only HALF the table. What a feast! It was all prepared by Pasha’s Mom, Anna.
Afterward, Anatoly and I took a shot of his Mom’s homemade vodka. Pretty damn good!
And then Andrii and I took a dip in their pool, joined by their beautiful dog, Afina.
No words necessary here–The picture is worth 1,000 words 😊
It is clear to me what wonderful parents Pasha has, why he is such a good “kid,” and what a wonderful family Andrii and Radmila will build.
Did my heart/all our hearts good, I believe.
A(nother) special day!
Onward!
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by Ryan Markiewicz | Jun 25, 2024 | Berlin's Wall
We bid a fond farewell to Odesa and our LP colleagues. Odesa is a BEAUTIFUL city, and (other than the constant air raid alarms) life goes on there pretty normally. It’s hard to imagine, but I think that’s true most of the time in a situation like this.
My Dad was a US Army Air Corps (the predecessor to the US Air Force) airplane mechanic during WW2 and was based at Sudbury, Suffolk. He (like most WW2 vets) never talked much about the war, but I remember him telling me that he was amazed that when Hitler’s bombs started dropping, and the alarms sounded, everyone quietly, casually went into the bomb shelters. The famous British “stiff upper lip.” And then, when it was over, life resumed as usual. I also remember him telling me about his experience in Suffolk that “the Vicar’s daughter was lovely” 🙂
So, in Zoryana’s capable hands we head back to Kyiv to say goodbye to the gang and to get a special treat before we head to Berlin.
Onward!
In Zoryana’s capable hands
Passing one of our loads of pipe heading from the port to the well sites on our way out 👍
And, of course, we stopped for another Road Dog
And Derek had to show us up 😀
I found it funny that besides the road dogs, the roadside gas stations sell all this, too. Shelves and shelves of alcohol at rest areas–what could go wrong? 🤪
And as beautiful as the drive was, there are still occasional reminders that the nation is still under attack by Russia.
Beautiful poppy fields appeared now and then along the highway. What a beautiful country!
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