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How bout a trip report or somethin!
or
Bring back Johnny Vegas!

The prosecution rests....

You're missing the point entirely. It's the very fact that I'm in the minority (or so you claim) thats one of the biggest problems with this place.  Btw, another lesson for morons is that being in a minority doesn't make one wrong.

The board long ago became a sounding board for a variety of misfits, from those who think everything FSU is gold to those who have nothing better to do to those who wouldn't go over in a million years. Throw in a fair dose of simple losers and co-dependent men so traumatized by their previous relationships they're too paralyzed to do much else and this is what you get.

Boards like this are good ony for one thing: information. Not opinion, not tetosterone battles, not waxing poetic about how good R/W are or how bad A/W are. Certainly not for 90% of the posts that end up here. Look for yourself, it's a clear as day. Besides, there has never been much here that could not be found elsewhere by anyone willing to make the effort.

Unitl the board is constrained to facts and information (as in the Brama board), it will continue to be a cesspool of clashed personalities. An omnidirectional sludge pump and chattering, mindless cyclop that offers  no value whatsoever other than entertainment.

LP , there is ( as always ) a lot of truth in what you've said here . With all the things that have taken place just over the past year or so that I've been visiting this joint , I can't argue with some of the points you've made in your post .  

But I do disagree with you about the value of this board .

Why ?

Well , frankly , you yourself are one of the reasons why this board can be of value . You are by your own admission in a somewhat unique postion compared to a lot of us here . You are not 'in the hunt' . You have a lot of experience with RW . You have a lot more opportunities to travel than most of us . You're a lot more familiar with all of the 'ins and outs' of travel and visa requirements than a lot of us here . By virtue of your personal situation , you are not prone to the 'all FSU is gold' mentality . You are not in a position where you'll fall prey to agency hype and propoganda .

In addition , you do not 'candy coat' your comments and opinions . While that rubs some people the wrong way , I for one have appreciated the occaisional LP 'reality check' from time to time . You're not wearing the 'rose-colored glasses' that a lot of guys are , and you're not afraid to call 'em as you see 'em .

Whether you realize it or not , you've probably kept more than one guy from making a serious mistake ; or given a guy something to think about that he might not have figured out on his own .

Maybe I'm not 'the sharpest knife in the drawer' , but I see value in that .

Sure , it is probably a little frustrating for you and some of the other 'old-timers' to respond to the same newbie questions posted month after month by naive love-struck maroons who won't take the time to read the archives ; or to offer someone sound advice and see it ignored . Or to get dragged into some extended flame war or personality conflict . I can appreciate that .

But I hope ya stick around .

Have a good weekend

Don

I don't mind answering newbie questions but I don't because others will do it. Besides, I believe one should do his own research. There are way too many opinions foisted here by people who are not objective or too screwed up to offer much more than information based solely on personal experience.

The bottom line is most involved simply don't want to hear the truth, it intrudes on their fantasy or it simply stings too much. Sadly, the more I stay in this game the more I see that a good percentage of the men involved are multiple divorce, pre-tramatized, paralyzed souls who have more problems than an FSU woman will solve. Until they're honest with themselves about it not much will change for them. Even then, life is continually generating a steady stream of new ones. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think it makes them losers....but it does make them a little lost. Frankly, me thinks they're the last people who should be in this racket.

I appreciate your comments but I need to go, it's time. Few will miss my viewpoint and fewer still will mourn my passing. Truth is, I've never really belonged here in the first place. It's been interesting to say the least and at times it's not been easy being the odd man out. Kinda like being a pioneer in some respects and you know what they say about pioneers: You can tell who they are by all the arrows stickin outta their backs.

Good luck to you, too.

Once again , there is a lot of truth in what you're saying . No argument here . It just took me a while to figure a lot of that stuff out for myself . That is not a put-down on anybody here ; I'm not any better or any worse than anybody else hanging out here .

I also believe that a guy should do his homework . Be prepared . One of the most important factors in this deal is , as you pointed out , a person's ability or inability to be honest with themselves . And a person's ability or inability to listen . I guess lately , over the past few months anyways , I've seen more 'inabilities' than 'abilities' in those regards . A little disappointing for me anyways . Sounds like you see this , too .

I also agree that a person needs to have his ducks in a row or his own house in order before diving in to something like this . There is an awful lot of discussion here about 'the hunt' ; but I don't think too many guys leaping into 'the hunt' realize the actual amount of time , effort , work , patience , and commitment that you need to put into this thing once 'the hunt' is over . This is a lot of d@mn work !

For me though , the results of all that work have been worth it . So I'm not complaining .

I will be moving on soon . My fiance just got her Packet 3 stuff last week ; and should be getting her Warsaw interview date soon . Hopefully , I'll be headed back to Belarus sometime around May to bring her and our daughter back here . It'll be my third trip to Belarus , all my visits have been to see her and her family alone . After over a year of e-mails , phone calls , and visits ; we know each other even better than some of the people we've grown up with . We think alike on just about everything under the sun . We are both really sure about this . Even so , I know that the real work is just beginning . I've prepared for all this the best I can ; but even so I know it's going to take a lot of patience , understanding , commitment , compromise , and just plain hard work . On a daily basis .

I haven't been around here too much lately , I've been spending some time remodeling an upstairs bedroom for our daughter . I've got some other remodeling type stuff to get knocked out before their arrival , so I'll be spending even less time here in the coming weeks . And once they get here , I imagine I'll probably be too busy to hang out here much at all .

So , I don't think you'll be seeing too much of me from this point on . This joint has been a good place for me to hang out and kill some time , maybe learn a thing or two , while waiting on Nebraska and K-1 paperwork . Occaisionally entertaining place too . There are a few good-hearted and well-intentioned folks here . I wish them all well .

This is a good forum , and as I said , you have contributed heavily to making it a good forum . You are a clear-headed and focused person ; and those are qualities which are sometimes in short supply here and in great demand . I , and others here , have always appreciated those qualities .

Although we often have a pi**-poor way of showing that appreciation !  LOL ... ;- )

I'll be saying my good-byes pretty soon I think . Next week or two probably .

You are wrong about one thing though :

When I walk outta this joint , nobody'll even blink .

**YOU** , however ....You would definitely be missed ....

Best of Luck to You

Don

Like you, I would love to see the board come back on topic a little more often. That is why I started the website thread up above. I hope you will contribute to it.

Take care and go easy on these guys. I wouldn't paint everyone with the same brush. There really are some great guys here.

Since you've married, it occurs to me you could provide a better service by commenting on the usual issues encountered by one in your position. Adjustment and cultural problems, how she contacts home, homesickness, etc, etc. All the issues that need to be addressed after a woman makes the move. Anyone with sense knows the real work starts after the search is over. You've offered them none of that as yet.

As for me taking it easy on them, I try. But I'm not blind to a good percentage of the type of men who are here and for what reasons. Many who need a woman so bad as to jump through these hoops have problems an FSU woman won't solve. They be a tad bent in my opinion, some here are downright scary.

Just my impression that is only speculation as I have no substantiation to back that up.

I've got to think there are guys who visit this site, but are not comfortable posting for whatever reason. I remember back before I was posting here, I visited for a while and just read what people wrote. I was so hungry to learn whatever I could to help my search.

If we could think of ways to make these guys feel more welcomed to join in the discussions or just ask questions, it would probably also help make things more interesting around here and it would also be a good way to give back something. Just a thought.

I mean we have a lot of expereinced searchers and a lot of success stories here. The regular posters here could be a tremendous resource for the lurkers if they would just utilize them. For the most part, I think almost all of these guys would love to help the guys who sincerely are interested in the process. Its seems like a genuine waste if these lurkers do not feel they have access to the knowledge and expereince here.

I think if we could come up with a way to get the ball rolling, it could really make a difference for a lot of guys. I just can't help thinking there are a lot of guys who are in the same place I was 2 years ago. If thats true, then these guys need information. They need sounding boards. They need someone to tell them when their plans make absolutely no sense at all and someone to tell them when their plans are reasonable. You know what I mean.

In the past two days have talked with two so called lurkers. One of the lurkers has actually contributed on this board I think 3 or 4 times over the last three years. He mostly reads but on occassion will ask a question as he is about to go on one of his trips if he needs some advice or help. On another Russian discussion board he lurks at he has never posted he told me. When discussing the censorship on the other Russian discussion board he said that if he was to post this would be a big issue with him and if he expressed his opinion he might get banned, so he will continue to lurk there.

Another lurker who has read Planet Love for over a year now is about to make his first trip, and ole what a trip!  When I asked him why he never post he says it was because he had nothing to contribute. I suppose that will change after his return.

Another reason some lurkers don't post is due to a few in-experienced troll police individuals we have had around. Not so long ago a guy named Beamer made a very sincere, serious post. One wannabe troll police individual gave him hell, essentially called his story a troll post. Beamer has hardly posted since.

I will repeat that I think Patrick has the best Russian discussion board in the world. He has improved the quality of the board by getting rid of 90% of the trolls. Patrick allows one to voice and speak his opinion. Patrick does not receive advertising dollars from known scam agencies and thus we are allowed to discuss scam agencies openly, something that cannot be done on a Russian discussion board who receives monthly income from agencies that scam

Everyone is staying away because I was too hard on ol' Beamish!

LMAO!

I was too hard on that lansdscaper guy, too, come to think of it... huh?

You kill me... Yep... That MUST be why this board has gone to hell.... Absolutely... You have hit the nail on the head...

Once again, you have the answer for everything...

Thank GOD you're back, Jack.

It's your board... And, you're welcome to it...

  I hope you will reinforce your previous warning.
  I have not replied to or mentioned dickhead by name. This is what you told the board and I on January 17th,.....
************************************************************

              Jack and MarkInTx warning
Post a followup Return to Forum Forum FAQ Edit Message
Posted by Patrick on 01/17/2003

The next one of you to reply to the other, or mention the other in any post will be banned for a week.

************************************************************

Patrick I am sure I am speaking for many, certainly for myself, when I ask you to please keep this warning and condition in effect, even if it only gives us a week of a more kind and peaceful discussion board.

I am sure you have noticed how peaceful and polite the board has become Patrick when a certain instigator does not give us his daily dose of wisdom that changes weekly.

  Talk about newby's being confused, not wanting to post! I am sure many newby's do not know what to think when they see an individual who is Planet Love's second all time leading poster one day advise the board, and I quote " Believe in true love -- be careful of who you marry -- love her like it's never going to end AND GET A PRENUP SIGNED!!!!". He strongly advises everyone to get a pre-nuptial, except when it comes to him! Or how one week this individual advises that a person must write many, visit many to be successful and then after writing one, visiting one and marrying one, now this is without doubt the most successful way of doing things. How he threatens that once after his bride get's to America he will never post anymore in hopes people will beg him to stay (and no one does) and than does quite the opposite by posting even more, which wouldn't be so bad except for the constant flip-flop of advice and opinions and mis-stating of facts and statistics which do not exist in his hopes of proving his method the best way. How he advises newby's that, and I quote  " I know there has been much discussion on whether you should expect sex when going to visit your FSU girlfriend. I would say that A) a true gentleman never expects sex – no matter what continent he is on" and then loads up on viagra himself, wonder why!!!!  And as far as how long a guy should wait until getting married during the 90 day K-1 period, and again I quote on 12-05-01 " In other words... use the three months to really decide if you BOTH will be happy here, together" and on 11-23-01 "Three months isn't very long, as you said Tootsie. And yet, many people don't even bother using the three months they are given."  And then marries with-in the first 10 days himself!!!  Come on, when can anyone take this guys advice when he does not even practice what he preaches? Can you say 'clueless'?

One of the few things boy blunder has ever said that makes any sense was on 10-18-02 when he said the following " I mention these because it has made me face one fact I would rather ignore: The Internet is a good source for information... but it is an equally good source for mis-information."   Yes, I think we can all agree with that. And look at the source of the greatest mis-information.

As for the guys who do not think they have anything to offer, there are probably a lot of them who will not post under any circumstances. I just can't stop thinking, however, that there are some guys who would like to post and just feel intimidated for whatever reason.

As for some guys who may be on the fence, it would be good to come up with ways to lure them over to being active posters. Going back to the original point of the thread, I definitely think it would make things more interesting around here if more people participated.

Maybe someone could think of a few discussion threads that would be directed for newbies. Sort of a place on the board where they felt more comfortable speaking even though they are inexperienced. Just an idea.

Things like checklists for the trip, places to look for information, contact info, red flags, etc.

Thats why I was suggesting we come up with discussion threads where the guys who do not even understand the process can speak and enter the community. Asking questions is always a good way to learn.

As for how to draw more people into the discussion: I don't know how.  I think some people are lurkers by nature. Some may need some encouragement. (Or, alternately, a lack of discouragement.)Hopefully, we can come up with some topics to draw people out of the woodworks.

When new people see statements like "she'll be gone in 89 days or she'll run off with someone else" do you honsetly think other new people will tell their story? They're afraid to post because they'll be attacked... There are ways to offer advice without being mean spirited.

Z

Spring is in the air. The male hormones are busting at the seams.

Economy slowdown,..... where? Couldn't tell it by the number of guys making plans to see Russian women.

WOVO or WMVM? 78% of current guys are WMVM, 22% are WOVO?

Age differences?  Of current guys, about 62% are seeking ladies 16 years age difference and less. Another 27 % are seeking 20 years age difference in less. Seems less than 10% are going beyond 21 years age difference.

Average number of days current guys are spending in the FSU, about 13.7 days.

Average airfare cost, about $865.

Scam meter. Percentage of oversea scam outfits are declining. From (ofcourse in my own opinion) about three years ago what was as high as 85% of the marriage agencies over seas being scam/unethical/dishonest has now shrunk to about 78%. Why the improvement?  I think the Internet.

Percentage of scammers being on major companies website are increasing. Seems as revenues have declined and the number of guys going on the large socials are declining, the big boys seem to be turning a blind eye to the more obvious scammers they are adding. Based on the number of letters we are hand delivering for clients who have bought addresses from the big three, more ladies are not who they portray in there photos, many ladies have moved from the address being sold and as we make many surprise deliveries, guys are answering the door (and don't mean the ladies daddy!)

And finally (no offense intended micha1), how many French men would it take to defend Paris?............No one knows, it's never been tried.

Now just a disclaimer about that ----- the answer really is not a reflection of success as it is easy to bring one back as compared to making it work and no one knows what the difference is, if there indeed is one, between the type of male that chooses the wovo as to compared to wmvm. If such difference does exist well then, we are not comparing similar issues the way I see it.

Again wovo or wmvm is a personal thing. There is no right or wrong way. Some guys just cannot write more than one, or want to write more than one woman at a time. They are only comfortable with wovo and so this is of course the best way for them.

So aren't you suppose to be moving to east Texas?  Maybe you can meet the nut JB from out thar ways. Don't say anything bad about Moscow women after JB has had a few too many vodka's or he will hate you!

Dan, we are having the 7th Annual Texas Men's Appreciation for Russian Women Bar-B-Que and May Day celebration on May 3rd this year. Will start at about 11pm and go until that evening. Have rented two large covered pavillions (one is not big enough anymore) at a local park so weather will not be a factor. Would love to see you. We are expecting from 70 to 85 couples(maybe more), from 10 to 12 guys who are single and pursuing a Russian bride who are there to meet people as well about 6 guys whose fiancées are heading this way but not here yet. Last year we had people attend from as far away as Florida and Kentucky.

Any guys out there who would like to attend just send me an e-mail. It will be a blast. Dan, I hope we will see you and Ira there.

I really am glad to hear you are doing well. You gave me a lot of good advice and its good to know that more people will be able to benefit from you in the future.

I am in Shreveport, Louisiana. Its right on the border of East Texas and very close to my home town in Texas. As you might remember, I have been trying to come back for a very long time. It was just a matter of lining up a good job. In smaller towns, it takes a little more patience to find them. : )

Just started posting here this week. Its pretty quiet here now. Looks like Patrtick cleaned up the troll issues pretty well. I hope it stays that way. All the troll mess was a big reason I stopped posting back in 2001.

I am not sure who JB is but I would enjoy talking to him. Don't worry about any comments about Moscow women. My wife is also from Moscow. Nothing he could do to me would compare with the consequences that would come from my own wife if I made such a comment. : )

I will definitely try to make it to the barbeque. Its just a matter of convincing my wife. She gets a little shy with big groups. If I can convince her, however, then I will definitely be there. Its only about a 4 hour drive from Shreveport so we could easily make a long weekend out of it. Also an FYI, May 3 is my birthday.

Thanks for the stats. I see you pay attention to all the details. Btw do you offer any services to Belarus. I saw some cute ladies I might be interested in writing to as soon as I clear some 'business' up.

here's one for Micha - Why are there no fireworks at Eurodisney? Well the French government keep surrendering as soon as they hear some explosions.

( no offense Micha).

Do you guys know why there are trees  on the side of the highways in France.
It so the german soldiers may walk in the shade when invading France.

As for being french,  you guys are right again,  somehow only,
but I am french-canadian, my ancestor came over to Canada in 1639.
For the french once there, they think of me as an American.

But on something else, in the same line of thought.
Where did Ben Franklin go when he needed help, arms, men and money.
Didn't  a guy name Lafayette come over.  He didn't stay long, just enough.
The food here was not to his taste.

Does anyone here knows that Tony Blair may not be prime-minister by the end of the week,
if keeps on.  
As for Aznar in Spain, he happen also to have put himself in a hell of a spot, also.
If anyone here speaks spanish,  try to find the article a supreme court judge of Spain
wrote this week end.  His name is Baltasar Garzon, who was also a Nobel Prize nominee.

Keep the jokes coming, we all need to laugh.

I think one must be extra careful when traveling to Belarus. The economy is probably one of the worst. Things are very desperate there and people do desperate things in desperate times. The government is still controlled by a communist leader. In this country it is true that the women are somewhat more desperate to leave the country, not true in Russia, Ukraine, Latvia as example.

  I think if you stay in the center of the center, where one usually see's and is accustomed to seeing many foreigners, you should be alright.

  id, it is only my opinion based on the ladies I have helped men to write in Belarus that there seems a more desperate attempt for ladies to leave. Although there are certainly a percentage of young women aged 22, 23 in Ukraine and Russia who say they will consider a man to 50 (sure, this is natural!), I see a greater number of young women from Belarus who will say, and write this.

You might want to meet the girl in Ukraine.  Moldova has had some problems so you might want to ask the girl what things are like now before you travel there.  There are more problems than indicated by the state department travel site/

There are some very beautiful, sincere women in Moldova. Usually with many of my clients when they have a single lady of special interest they will have her to come to Odessa to visit him, a very easy, inexpensive short trip for the lady.