#352: How To ELI5 WW3 TBD WTF w/ Vadim Davydov

Episodes
Written By Eric Readinger


Vadim Davydov empathetically explains the Russia-Ukraine war from a unique point of view as a St. Petersburg, Russia born to St. Petersburg, FL living (the American entrepreneurial life he couldn't pursue in his former country).

Professionally Vadim is photographer, co-founder of Esquire Photos, owner of a commercial cleaning company, a United Nations volunteer and a facial expression coach / first and last impression specialist.

Previous episode links:

#258: How To Stop Taking Yourself and This Life So Seriously with Vadim Davydov  https://bit.ly/sweq-258

#166: How To Embody The American Dream 🇺🇸 With Russian Determination Like Alex Ovechkin (With All His Teeth) https://bit.ly/sweq166

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

ukraine people russia putin nazi fucking ukrainian talking government podcasts fight russian big kgb years left country president putin regime minutes


sweat equity pause Yes. Oh yeah, I think I think you're a spy dude. I think

0:08

KGB JK I, I definitely almost threw up during this interview. Oh, like five minutes in. So I think I had a stroke.

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For real.

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I was literally sweating on the sweat equity podcast streaming show the number one comedy business business, comedy podcasts in the world pragmatic entrepreneurial advice real Rado talks.

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We have Vadim Davidoff on the team photos on Instagram at do the photos on Instagram. He's going to do an NF T coming up a bunch of empties. It sounds like to sponsor Ukraine.

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The fight but it's like he is rushing. He's a he's a Russian born in St. Petersburg, Russia for nine years. Yeah and left because entrepreneurship. You can't really do Russia. So he went to St. Pete Florida, and he said Putin. And he left because he left because of Putin. He had the foresight to see that the country is in disarray. This is an unusual episode for us a very special episode of sweat equity podcast.

1:20

We'll make that the sponsor for this episode. We'll put links in the episodes if you want to hear his backstory for free previous episodes. And then as always, listen to us on iTunes Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google podcasts, hook up that subscribe rate us five star write a little something in the comment on the rating and that's it. That's our only sponsor

1:46

Are you good?

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Man Are you gonna die

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my

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god, stunning

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stunning headshot. What sub guys? Can you go back to your headshot? Yes, please.

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I mean, well, gosh, man. Well, we should do your plugs at the top if anybody's looking on video they want a headshot. Ladies put your drip trays under your your seats. Don't be gross. Well, I mean, gosh, and then you go reality right? Look how good a photographer is. Well, you know what the common theme on the show is? Everybody doesn't work on their own stuff as much as they need to.

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Know I'm talking about you. He's talking about this the difference between the headshot and Oh, I thought you're making fun of him. Spring doesn't count. I don't know his framing right here. Or his goatee? Yes. Now he looks like it. evil version of himself. Oh, yeah. Like that. You guys don't have any distance between you? Oh, no, we get up close. We're touching toesies underneath the table. Yeah, you're even closer than in the studio before. Right? It made you it's by choice. This room is like 40 feet in every direction. We just sit like this because we like it. That's how we do it. You know? Like Montel Jordan. What? Why don't you throw throw your plugs before he educate us on on stuff.

3:31

Where can people find your website? Instagram? What's your? What are your handles?

3:38

You can just find on the Instagram but in photos. Alright, so the deme photos. Alright.

3:47

I didn't know you were gonna think about trying to spell it and then you're like, I don't know for sure. So I'm not gonna try. I was trying to make a joke in there. But you know, it's, well, I figured a soft landing into this subject. Name. Oh, how about this, Eric and I will tell you what we know. Thus far, which is not a lot. Yes.

4:11

About Starlink Starlink with Elon, right. We've I think we both agree that was really fucking cool. It was a badass move for those I mean, I don't know. You know, Tony Stark shit. deploys Starlink the president of Ukraine is pretty big badass. Apparently. He was kind of a TV on air personality, like comedy wise. Yeah, he's the voice of Paddington Bear. Oh, I didn't know that. Um, yeah. In his Paddington out there fighting. I got no reference. I couldn't tell if the overcoat I saw yet. I saw a picture of him where he was standing next to two guys trying to join

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whatever whatever big group that was going to. He wanted to join and he was literally 18 inches shorter than the shorter

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guy there was three guys and one was humongous. And he was like down here. Yeah. Is he teeny tiny? Team? Yeah, he's a Dustin Gisa I'm not Ukrainian. No, no, we're gonna, we're gonna get there. I was talking about this guy.

5:15

I know this is gonna be something like how to educate idiots about what's going on. We're doing stupid guy. X here. You know, for the show. We'll have an intro to this before the interview kicks in. But basically, what I looked at, in our research, looked at the Klitschko brothers for about 30 minutes, right, to make sure they play chess and are bright guys. So you know, that's a fact. We know, I saw Miss Ukraine is the theme. The theme I see. That's

5:47

yeah, I don't know if that's legit or not. I get I assume it is.

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But, but the theme of that, taking from that kind of extrapolating it out the theme seems to be like what the President said, I don't you know, when US offered refuge, he's like, I don't need a ride. I need ammunition. Like, and everybody's like, No, we're here. This is we're this is our home. Look wars been going on for 1000s of years. So

6:16

it the the real interesting part of this that throws a nugget. We haven't had something like as as big as this. And the social media era. Pretty intense. Yeah. Right. So.

6:30

So given your background real quick.

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If anybody wants to listen to previous episodes, we'll link them in this description. Where you kind of tell us your story.

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encapsulated as St. Petersburg, Russia to St. Petersburg, Florida.

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The rare St. Pete St. Pete.

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You grew up? You gotta let him tell it or what? Wait, I'm trying to Odessa. Hmm. Is that wait, no. Oh, no. Who knows this story really good. No.

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First time, I was trying to think of the city that he started in. Why nobody cares. That you get it right. I'm beat. Set. Okay. St. Pete. So you got it. Right. Boom, nailed it. I shouldn't over talk to my buddy. Mark that down. So that's, that's, uh, that's the reset of the table for everybody. But I will let you give us your background. And then thoughts on all this teaches things.

7:26

Oh, I should start. Yeah, but hold on. Let me tell you about your life. Oh, you were a baby boy. At one point. Sorry. Are you for baby? All right. Sorry. All right. Yeah, give the short version your background growing up. And you know, we can then we can kind of get into it. How about that? Yeah, I born in St. Pete Russia. And then I moved to us about almost nine years ago, in the I moved because of the madness of the Putin regime. And I always been in the opposition. And I probably described it very well, on the previous episodes. And I still have the same opinion about the Putin regime and in general, but even me, I was shocked

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when they did it, and how they did it.

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And I think

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the the biggest reason why it happened, because in 2014,

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Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, she visit this, like a Putin and she was very close to Putin. And she said that Putin, he lost sense of reality. Because probably he explained your his plans and like his point of view and all this stuff.

8:48

And from 2014 Till now, at eight years, the this sense, get even worse. So I feel like this is the main reason what happening right now.

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Second, he is a professional KGB guy.

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And he knows how to get people. You know, I don't know the word. You know, when he laid, persuade, persuade? Yes. So and he did this professionally through the media. It's not just the clear propaganda. It's literally KGB style, getting people in and, like, let them believe truly, inside, in, in his opinion, you know,

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persuasion and manipulation? Yeah, yes. But it's like, you know, you can spot the propaganda. But what they did, it's deeper stuff, subtle. For long play. You don't even they don't even you don't even know what's happening. I love them. What allow them like today

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In the federal TV channel a lady and use anchor she said in Ukraine right now if you can spell

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if you can say on Ukrainian language correct word strawberry

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they will kill you.

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Whoa, that's just said the song for fucking Russia. Whoa, this is bullshit and people will eat that because how deep of the this mind stuff? Okay

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it's like on CNN

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yes it's like exactly the same Can you imagine on CNN somebody will see if you will help American accent in Canada they will fuck you is the same.

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So visionary.

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And the last one, the main reason

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why it happened, what happened? It's a large mistake.

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Like can you imagine in if you still leave in 2005 or 2008 and you believe that you can still click go and grab like a piece of land like they did in 2014. And everybody will be okay with that and like, Okay, we will get some sanctions, but it will not be harsh. So if you have the same mindset that you can go in park, whole country, and no one will give you anything. This mindset leads you to this large mistake and Russia right now are losing the war. And they will lose.

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Yeah, you still

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you love. If I remember you love the country, but you don't love the way it's governed. All right. Yeah, I love the country. I wouldn't be happy to live there. But not is this government. Because then, like right now, if you donate money to Ukraine, they give you 20 years prison. If you post, like, like I did on the Instagram, if you post something about war, and you call it war, because they don't call it war, you get 15 years. So I'm about 35 years in the prison time. You're badass. Yeah. When I saw Putin equals Hitler. I was like, We got to get the team back on immediately. So everybody will find me sooner.

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While still hot take

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two other episodes of unexplained

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CGI mustache. Funny Hat. Just the Buka headshot session is this guy. You go get one worth it.

12:49

Yeah, man I did with the social media. It's I hope it's like a huge lesson for where it's like, you're not really going to get away with pretty much anything anymore, hopefully. Or at least a huge deterrent to this sort of shit. Right? You sound bad. I'm sweating right now. Yeah, dude, I got like all flush last like five minutes. For some reason. I was like, oh, maybe if you got here earlier instead of I think it's running nicotine gum and no didn't in

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my body's like, Hey, I'm going to cool you down. I'm just going to make you look like you're fucking hammer. So another thing that can you imagine that you truly believe that the ins in downtown have like a key or in Kiev in general. There's a group of people that have this, like a Nazi mindset and holding all the people like you holding in your country. But under like a night Nazi mindset, I believe that this is what Putin thinks and what he made believes other people because this is their agenda. There's a like a fascist, like there was a Nazi sitting on the government. That's why we going there to make people free from the Nazi. This is the main Oh, that's what he says. I didn't hear that at all. I didn't know that. That's what he was feeding to the people. Yes. Wow, that's pretty we've in October 2014. After my dumb people in Kiev, in Ukraine in general, the more free in terms of like a decay of a more freedom of speech, the replica support from Europe from like a US the the more free, you know, right? People die, they're more free. Right. And Putin thought that he will come there, and there will be the same people like in Russia who can say a word back, who will be like, Okay, you come to invade us. It's okay, like don't touch my house, please. But you do whatever you want.

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He's not like that anymore. They will fight and whole country will fight. Yeah. And him going in there. If you think about it to take out, I take over a country because there's a democratically elected official who says, As a Nazi,

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does he understand the irony? And what are you doing just completely over with military overthrowing that government

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democratically like the government, and then doing it and that's his excuse. Their plan was to get it in two days. But whoops, like to come quickly, with a special forces got it. Like, everything should work like a perfectly they kill it, they have a beautiful blend, that they build it over, maybe not even a month, like a year or something. And then when they come, first of all, because people like a leadership, like you can imagine, like 20 years of somebody sitting in the company and like a bunch of people, they don't like him, too. And the leadership is fucked their ideas fuck, right. And there's no way that execution will be not fuck, they can kill Navali for fucking two and a half years. And they for like a whole group of like, the highest secret. FSB guys follow him and fly to him and try to poison him and they can't

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give it a minute. I think that I don't think he's as safe as he once was. I'll bet I mean, there's probably dudes in that room there and I'm over this shit. Who's with me? Oops. Movie. Have you guys watched movie about Navami? No, you're gonna be surprised now while me after the tried to poison him. He had as he called to FSB guy who tried to poison him. And he pretend that he's the highest FSB guy and that guy, he answer a bunch of questions. Wow. That's all that really happened. Yes. Wow. Watch it. It's a documentary. It's, oh, no shit. And then after, after a coma. He spent like a month in coma. He came back to Russia. And they put him in jail. And right now he's one year in jail. And they trying to give him another 15.

17:26

They do anything less than 10. In Russia? is 10. The minimum?

17:33

No, my 35 year like my wife, Carson was arrested today and his his wife in the protest and seeing people. Yeah, I saw the big protests going on it. It was like he was I couldn't imagine that many people were out there.

17:55

Given that it ain't the same protest rules were used to hear

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you know that shows that shows a lot of compassion on on the Russian side to from the citizens.

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What are you getting from back home? Like? I mean, you said your family. Yeah. How did you know that? How did you find that out?

18:19

What exactly they your family got arrested. I mean, we still can't they have I mean, I don't know. I mean, they're shutting everything down. I have no idea what's happening. See, I feel like we're fine. So we started filming.

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But genogram I feel like is the best tool but the to do right.

18:39

Social media the I was like they were the 15 The first thing I was like the telegram that seems old school.

18:51

Everybody, all the news coming from telegram.

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Cool. Wow. Hmm. And you can sign up for like a pro Russian telegram channels and the pro Ukrainian something in the middle. And you can get all the news from there. Okay. Do you do both or all three? either? Yeah. All three. Yeah. For you get all the angles? Yeah, but there's no.

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There's no explanation to war, right? You don't need like a right.

19:23

Yes, I completely agree. It's like, Oh, do you like kids being alive? Okay, then there's no defending it really? Well, yeah. Why? I guess the what are the broad strokes of why they're, they're going. They're trying to get Ukraine? I mean, is it? I mean, think money wise. I think that Ukraine has a lot of natural resources. From what I've read and info wise.

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It's the same as a president of Turkey.

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You're trying to get a small empire

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but just acquisition Australia

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Russia trying to get like a Russian Empire back. Like a Putin he believes that

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it's his kind of Destiny. This Yes. Yeah. I think I think being a little bit cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs is a big problem here. Yeah, I hope he does. I hope he doesn't lose his temper. It's just

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like one of those fake buttons

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that you bring in President he was a actor, a professional actor, right. Yeah, he was like, it was like a Jon Stewart over there. Apparently.

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Some like that, like on air talent, but Sardar sardonic kind of commentator. Yeah.

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It's also crazy. It's it's like a movie. Yeah. Well, I mean, the Ukraine especially just has so many characters literally. I mean, like, like Tom Cruise. You know, getting elected president and then literally fighting in a war. Yeah. And then there's people Sean Penn's over there filming everything to that's what he does. He finds tragedy runs through it.

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It's so crazy. So so crazy. So it's just purely acquisition. Why not? Why Ukraine and why not something?

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Something smaller? Yeah.

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Why not start out with like a starter is there

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was

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in 2014 Putin third visit from Crimea. Oh, yeah. Peace of Ukraine. It's called Premier. Then he took eastern part of the green now it's called in there and Eleanor. And there for eight years in there. And Eleanor were quite busy Ukraine and this parts. And it's a kind of rebels. But the way how he did it in 2014, after the government school, when you change the government.

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Cuckoo cuckoo, like, queued atop, like when the military just takes over? We're talking to transition. Yeah, but yeah, synonyms you want when actually people took over, and it was a very bad thing for green, and the revolution.

22:22

Thank you. remotion. So after evolution in Putin came to these parts. And there's a more Russian speaking communities in this parts, because Ukraine and Russia, it was always the same kind of country kind of before, you know, right. They know each other, they have relatives there, we have friends, and it's like, wherever he goes. So he he, he put there his propaganda, saying that people from

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other side of like, the south side of Ukraine, will come to Eastern, and they will kill them because they speak Russian. They not speak Ukrainian.

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And like, he show IV, it's my theory, but he got like a some people who,

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like a catching police guys and like beat them up. Like, you know, we make people afraid that somebody like a Nazi will come to them and kick their butts making

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sure, like, we go go round and kind of spot check. Make sure people see it. So it makes it makes that kind of like

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penalty well known, but they could force it all the time. You know? Can you imagine you're sitting in eastern part, you're watching TV, and they're start talking about like, okay, there's a revolution, but this revolution made by Nazi and Nazi will come and kick your butt. And you start getting afraid and then Russian scheme with military and they didn't have like a, you know, it was not like a Russian flag or

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anything. It was like a green

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sweaters. Yeah. And they they took over all the military bases without any shots. Because there was a lot of Russian generals and all the stuff they trick themselves and they make a referendum like where people want if they want to be free from Ukraine. This is what they did and they make like a zone free from Ukraine but you agree or not agree because it's still fucking green? You can Yeah.

24:31

Because a guy down there to figure this out. This is not okay. can't just walk away from it. Right Crimea was like a very big part of that and it was very big being for Putin he was like enjoying his victory and all the stuff but if you bring the cut the shot water down for creamier and people suffered in Crimea without water as well.

24:56

Then we can he build the breach?

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He was so happy about it. And I feel like this A Perea and you know, feeling of victory leads him to the next loops.

25:10

A lot of people right now they defend or explain war. Because eight years in this

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territory, like a DNR and LNR were fight. And a lot of people 14,000 People were die over eight years.

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And there are a lot of people explaining like, it's enough, a lot of people die. And now it's time to get them back.

25:37

But they don't forget, they forget about it was a park in Ukraine territory at that time as well. Right. So to bring it business wise, maybe is a metaphor, he never give up equity. If you don't have to. Don't have it forcefully taken. I mean, same thing applies with land use, well, here's, here's the thing, like, Don't ever let somebody take your equity, right? Or you or we're talking like Nazis, they're gonna take your equity or, you know, the slow and slow thing on the citizens and a lot of ways to rally this kind of manipulation over time. You know, is that

26:21

why a lot of people hate let us COVID In the United States, the regulations on that? People, a lot of people fight back because you keep inching you keep making more regulations, they don't really go away a lot of times. I mean, they get repealed, stuff like that. But I'm saying like, if you give authority, if you give the government more authority, more land, whatever it is, and kind of inch that inch that in a slow progression. That's how you can kind of gain that kind of territory, right? We're confident Kinser it's called cancer. Okay. Yeah. Or Memphis does and Putin is a Memphis does at this point.

27:02

Are we will we get in trouble with him for now?

27:07

He is believed that Naita came too close. And the Ukraine we're about to get to look at join NATO. Yeah, you'll reduce the amount of flight time for nuclear,

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like a rocket from 15 minutes to fucking 10 minutes. And he's still living two years in the bunker. Right now. Like some people seeing that he moved to Altai. It's like a other part of the Russia. He does like a large bunker there. In demand. So Oh, I bet Russia has great places to hide. Right. Siberia? Good luck. Arctic. Yeah. Be like this. Stay out there. Wherever. Santa Claus you think lives he's probably think about Siberia. Yeah. Also, the government. The

28:00

Russian government is come to school with diplomats leaving commander countries like me, so that works. Yeah, the main guy, The Who, in our like a diplomat or embassy guy. Ambassador got God on selling or not selling to transferring cocaine?

28:22

A large amount of cocaine in the party. Yep. And the if you watch interview with him, you can tell you can spot like the person who does cocaine who's not. And I feel like a lot of them doing cocaine. That's why the, you know, remember this Scarface? I'm not positive about booze. I don't think so putting that cocky, but a lot of people in the government they do. Oh, and

28:50

when this guy said like, I'm Tony Montana. And this is how do you have the right? The world like, with your guys? I mean, think about it. If like if kids in college in a rap culture, if Putin is your boss Scarface, if he's your boss, you are going to do every sort of drug you can to make sure you are on top of your shit so you don't get shot. That fear. Fear like I gotta get more blows like stay away getting as dry clean fear so fear makes you exhausted but also like I have to be at tip top I got to do they probably overworking I'm like crazy. I mean, I think Hitler was amphetamine up all the time they said so much. So it started it started creating paranoia because like those uppers can get you like just speed used enough abused enough for decades maybe that can like and you're already kind of that maniac without it. You know, high on power. Sometimes you can be able to read the the the main person who speaks

30:00

from like a Russian embassy, it's a lady Your name is Maria the heroine she

30:09

recently she, she told Sweden and Finland that she, like, guys like, shut your mouth kind of like a

30:18

you basically next but it's the way how I said but the context is like a solo aggressive so

30:27

and they what did she threaten? I hope not I like Ikea a lot I you know, that's where I get my home furniture. Don't take over Sweden, Finland Wallah is already left Russia, the old manufacturers like a Porsche Audi, they're leaving Russia right now. Good. Yeah, that that we're gonna have our buddy on tomorrow to talk about the economic impact of that, you know how it's our it's already emotion no pun intended to the manufacturers. But yeah, it's, that's the other flip side of 2022 things are like boom, oh, economy flips on its head. Yeah, brand. We were talking about local restaurant tour here. He's like, I like the small thing I could do is boycott all vaca products for my restaurants. And you're like, a from Russia.

31:19

So, boom, all that's gone. And I think we might see a lot more of that, which is an interesting, interesting how that communication can be. You know, we know the evils of social media and that kind of communication. But those are some of the good things. brightspot Yeah. And I see a lot of like, good stories in my feed about Ukraine and the president. Funny Stuff I was telling you about the Ukrainian stealing the armored truck hooked up to a tractor to take it off. run an app drum, bring me back my fucking tank.

31:55

Well, we got it, we gotta cut this off. But any any other things? You can impart any other opinions on this whole thing? Yeah, I feel like

32:06

unfortunately, it was happening. A lot of people dying. And I feel like more people will die. Because for pushing right now. It's only He can go back. He can say like, Oh, I'm sorry, guys. He's too deep in the blood.

32:23

Only one way he will do he'll push more. In terms of like rockets. He already use like two thirds of his attack power. If we're talking about military, he sent to can you imagine eight years people were on on warfare in Ukraine. And they were so ready to fight right. Like they they experienced like,

32:47

like, yeah, the fighters and he's sending their fucking police guys.

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And they're just dying and dying like that. And the

32:59

the whole world sending a bunch of ammunition, a bunch of money, a bunch of stuff to Ukraine, and there is no chance Russia will be they will send more bombs than to try to negotiate. But Ukraine will not negotiate people so upset about what happened. They will never go. They will never forgive Russia. They will never forgive Russians. Like I'm Russian. I feel guilty.

33:27

I feel that even I was like a whole my life against the Putin, Putin and like all this government, I left the country because of that. I still feel guilty for myself. And a lot of people, Russians,

33:41

Google. I feel like it's for more generational stuff. It's like Blake, like a map like a malice plan.

33:51

Don't feel bad buddy. Yeah, you didn't do it. Just take that Catholic Gilbert. Did you punch it into the drywall?

33:59

Okay, well, we have a team. We recently right now we work on on the project. We do like an NF T's. Oh, we will release tomorrow. And actually Project 100% of the money will go to Ukraine. And we have two artists one of this right now in other in other city in the world. And the other guys from Ukraine from Israel, from billows from us participating in this project. And

34:32

don't send me back to Russia do

34:36

go get married. It will be a green card marriage.

34:42

Just a double piss them off. How about that? Yeah, we did end up in jail, trying to figure out how to Oh yeah, you could get pulled over. We could get pulled over. They

34:52

all make out with him right in front of me. Um, all right. Well, I mean, I'm sure we'll have to have you back on to explain more.

35:00

Hopefully in two weeks Yeah, it'll be all different in a good way soon, actually then soon like 10 days. I would

35:11

definitely have you on if it is 10 days definitely after that, but if not, if it's longer, you know, maybe throughout. Alright buddy. Appreciate it. Yes


Eric Readinger
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