Why is it that every time you reply to me it's to insist that my opinion is wrong and I should follow your way of life? It's pretty obnoxious.

Don't want to call out this particular rando user, but just noting what an impressive display of poor reading comprehension this is. My comments are on, not off (you just have to follow). Nothing in my post is critical of Mamdani. I'm not trying to "manufacture consent." Take a breath and slow down. https://oyster.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:cak4klqoj3bqgk5rj6b4f5do&cid=bafkreidoxrzd3qcjbfilnametmlz6wmxtommnjcmhcwpvnmfoxkavdwehe

CAN WE JUST HAVE A DULL QUIET WEEK FOR ONCE? View quoted note →

Coincidentally, my buddy Rob was somehow able to go on a trip to Moscow around that time, saying he had some family working there. And I begged him to buy me some night vision goggles. He promised he'd do whatever he could.

Instead, he bought a pair for himself (it was a scope, not goggles, but still) and I remember being annoyed that he didn't get me one. Though, honestly, I have no clue what I would have done with them if I got them. Just seemed cool.

He later called me from the ABC offices in Moscow to tell me that he had seen night vision goggles on sale.. but they were $120 so he didn't get one for me since I had said it was $80. I begged him to go back and get it for me.

Anyway, that's my Gorbachev-era Russia story. Now, can someone find Linda for Ben?

During that week I was watching ABC evening news (with Peter Jennings) and there was some news story from Moscow... and in the voiceover section I HEARD MY FRIEND ROB DOING THE VOICE OVER and I was VERY VERY confused. Turns out his family in Moscow worked for ABC in Moscow and they let him do the VO

Randomly this reminds me of a story. When I was in high school (~1990ish), I had seen a Time magazine article that mentioned that in post-Soviet Russia perestroika, that it was possible to buy Russian army surplus night vision goggles for $80. And holy shit did I want a pair. View quoted note →

Let's see if the internet (and Bluesky in particular) can help solve this mystery. Who can help Ben find "Linda" who appears to be from the UK but traveled to Moscow in 1984 and wrote (but did not send?) this postcard? View quoted note →