Russia - threadbanned users in OP

All the average Russian Soldier want to do is to get out of the Army...

Very smart move, it should of been done earlier really. This means all currency exchanges will have to be carried out with the Russian Central Bank also and seen as Dollars can be frozen by the US now roubles can likewise be frozen by Russia.

It had almost been forgotten I guess, for Russians to have to queue for items in the stores. But the older generation know full well what it is like, and they will now act accordingly, with old habits kicking in.

Ronald Reagan used to tell a joke about a Russian guy in the 80s who worked his way up in his employer and decided to buy a car. So he goes to the car dealer and signs up for a new car, the car dealer says ‘OK, if everything is in order you can collect your new car exactly ten years from today’ and the guy says ‘will that be in the morning or the afternoon?’ So the car dealer says ‘look, it’s ten years from now, what does it matter if it’s the morning or the afternoon?!’. The guy says ‘well it’s just that the plumber is coming that morning!’.

... Several million Moscow citizens have been displaced by this criminal act of aggression.

Have thought if Russia's brutality in East/South of Ukraine just continues on and on, and reaches WW2 levels of death and destruction, there could be increasing pressure on NATO/US/EU etc. to do "something" to limit scale it can grow to, even if seems they can't actually put a stop to it.

I'm no expert but have wondered if that might be likeliest, a force sent in to secure/protect parts of country up to borders of where Russia and their army/security forces are already operating but no further, and dare Putin/Russia to expand the attack + escalate towards armageddon by attacking the NATO force. I suppose, even though they lie so much, if he says this and makes threats, maybe they think it is most likely sort of "intervention" too? Very dangerous/scary times.

Rupee - Ruble agreement to be implemented in a week

time to bite the painful bullet and stop buying their oil and gas...

When I was in Russia, one day sitting around having a beer with my colleagues, the subject of what was the best, very best truck in the world. So the usual makes were trotted out by their respective fans. Mercedes Benz, said one. No said another its Volvo. And so on, then one of them said Kamaz. Conversation stopped and all looked at him in wonder. Vladimir, just how can you even think never mind say such a thing?? Simple, says Vladimir You order your brand new Kamaz, and after the long wait, you go to the factory to collect it. Then you start the long drive home. After the first day, that evening you start to fix some problems that have appeared. Next day, same thing, drive all day, fix at night. And after you arrive home, maybe 10 days later, you are driving the best truck in the world, not only have you fixed all it's problems.....you know very well each and every nut and bolt on it.

'and the like' was my note - just going by a now deceased relative who was in the MP in WW2. Policing brothel fights and dealing with sex crimes generally. And these were the 'Allies'.

You got Miriam there in that description and the little fawning sigh now & then. Claire Byrne is not far behind her either.

Sarah McInerny though is on the ball. You need the likes of her to be interviewing.