And is in the process of crossing all of China’s red lines, as well.
101st Airborne division being sent to Romania, ostensibly to partake in exercises. Poor saps dont know they are being sent as sacrificial lambs. A false flag on their own troops is a perfect way to declare war. Ukronazis will be happy to oblige, Im sure. Posted by: DaVinci | Oct 22 2022 18:51 utc | 3
The 20th CPC Congress has ended. The Western “news” hasn’t reported on it at all, except for the event of Hu JinTao being helped out of the chamber. The Western “news” is all about being “forcefully removed” and all that nonsense. The poor guy is very old, and these long meeting are strenuous. Not to worry though. He’s fine and under the care of medical professionals.
Plenty of activity in Europe and the United States madness is out of control. Mid-term elections are next week, and a new brand of insanity will embrace Washington DC. Sigh.
So don’t expect any REAL change. Just more of the same.
Explosives-Laden Drone, UNDETONATED – Found near Nord Stream Pipeline Bomb Blast Site
Sweden Police investigating the recent explosion which blew up three out of four natural gas pipelines between Russia and Germany, found an explosives-laden, but UN-DETONATED, underwater drone, near the fourth pipeline which did NOT get blown up. A wire which would have controlled the explosion of that drone, was found to have been severed.
The police called-in the Sweden Army Ordnance Disposal Unit, to recover the undetonated drone, and to render it safe.
The drone is now impounded and with it, the first conclusive proof of WHO carried out the bombing of Nord Stream.
Sweden immediately Classified the drone and the investigation as needing to be concealed for “national security” reasons.
The model of drone makes clear who the perpetrator is. Sweden is not revealing the drone model or any other information surrounding it.
News media coverage of the recovery of this drone has been forbidden by Swedish authorities. The Hal Turner Radio Show is not subject to Swedish authority and is herewith publicizing this information pursuant to the freedom of the press, protected by the US Constitution, Amendment One.
At this time, we will not say if we know the drone model, the types of explosives on it, or which country operates such drones. We will decide at a later date as to whether or not to reveal any other information we may already possess, as the revelation of any such information would very likely be Casus Belli to start an actual war.
It is expected that once repaired, the drone will be returned to the United States Navy to resume operations. - MM
Robin Trower – Lady Love – 3/15/1975
Betty White Was a World War II Volunteer
If you are like me, World War II seems like it was an extremely long time ago. The fact is, Betty White was not only alive during this time, she actually served. White took a break from her work in the entertainment business to volunteer and support the troops. She served as a volunteer in the American Women’s Voluntary Services.
White drove trucks with military supplies, among other duties. When White died in 2021, the U.S. Army even acknowledged her with a tweet, saying that “Not only was she an amazing actress, she also served during WWII… A true legend on and off the screen.”
They said it best. Not too many actors and actresses would sacrifice their dreams for the good of our nation, but that just goes to show what a special person Betty White was.
Ancient Incense Clocks: A Timely Glow
Checking the time hasn’t always been as easy as glancing at your smartphone. In ancient times, humans would determine the time by using devices made of sand, stone, shadows, wheels, and more. One ancient clock that doesn’t get mentioned often enough is the famous incense clock. Run primarily by fire, the incense clock was popular in China during the early Qing Dynasty, before mechanical clocks were accessible to all levels of society.
A unique concept compared to other ancient clock systems, incense clocks were simple to use, yet intricate in appearance. They were also essential to daily life, as people could also use these clocks like timers by lighting specific spots in the maze to burn at a ‘countdown’, which may have been helpful during cooking or working. But how exactly did these clocks work, and why were they used for so long?
Incense Clocks Burned Through Time
Incense clocks were as intricate as they were accurate. To make the clocks burn for an entire day, they had to be designed like small mazes. Although they were small enough to fit into the palm of your hand, their tiny carvings would impressively loop around the entire face of the clock to form a detailed, perfectly spaced maze. The clocks were made of durable, fire-resistant metals so they could not be warped or scorched by the heat of the flame.
The incense clock consisted of multiple trays. The bottom tray contained tools needed to operate the clock, including a tiny shovel and a damper. The next tray up contained ashes to lay out along the incense trail, while the top tray contained different stencils for the clock. Each stencil was designed to burn for slightly different amounts of time. Although time itself did not inherently change, the stencils were designated for specific seasons. Since day lasted longer during the summer, and night lasted longer during the winter, they had different stencils to specify this change in daytime versus nighttime.
Users of the clock first used the damper to smooth the ashes in the middle layer. The layer had to be perfectly flat, or else the incense might have stopped prematurely during the day. Once the layer was flat, a stencil would be chosen according to the time of year. The stencil would then be placed on top of the flat ash layer, and the pattern would be carved out using the sharp end of the shovel. Once the shape was carved, incense could be added and lit.
On top of this lit incense would be the top layer, the incense clock’s lacy lid. This lid was intricately designed, but was also essential to the operation of the clock. It would help vent smoke and control oxygen exposure. This simple lid helped prevent the incense from burning too quickly or being snuffed out prematurely.
If the incense clock did burn out prematurely, not all hope was lost. Since these clocks were used so frequently, it was fairly easy to determine the relationship between the time of day and the location burned on the clock. Individuals using the clocks could either restart the clock from the current time by comparing it to a clock that was still running, or could generally estimate how much time was left on the clock.
Incense Clock Variations: From Chimneys to Sniffs
Over the years, additional versions of the incense clock were developed. While many still used the traditional maze clock, others used newer versions that had small chimneys across the top lid. Those using this type of incense clock could determine the time by observing which chimney had smoke coming out of it at different times of the day. Others were more creative with the clock, and sometimes used different types of incense or scent chips throughout the maze, so they could tell the time just by sniffing the clock!
Ancient alarm clocks were also produced using incense clocks. Since incense clocks were operated by fire, they could also be used to develop a type of alarm. One of the simplest examples of this is the metal ball alarm clock. An incense clock would have a few tiny metal balls attached to it by thin threads. These threads would then be hung over the top of the incense clock. Once the incense clock burned to the threads, they would break and drop the tiny metal balls into a bowl below, creating a loud ‘alarm’.
This ‘alarm clock’ was so common that a giant version was once made for the emperor to help him wake in time for visitors or other special events. While they were common, some were worth considerably more in value, since the most beautiful incense clocks took more craftsmanship to develop. A simple incense clock had an ordinary block maze, but luxury incense clocks would have detailed, one-of-a-kind stencils that only the wealthy could afford.
Who Needs Mechanical Clocks Anyways?
Incense clocks are over 1,300 years old, but historians continue to be fascinated by their long-standing accuracy. Due to their accuracy and affordability, they were used by average families for several centuries to tell and measure time. Plus, they made an attractive addition to any home with their intricate designs and warm glow.
Although we eventually turned to mechanical and now electronic clocks, our relationship with time has remained the same. Tracking time helps us make plans and complete tasks without worry. The next time you set your morning alarm (or alarm s), remember that it could be worse – you could be dependent on some fire and thread.
Conway Twitty – Slow Hand 1983
Russian Ambassador: Washington has . . . crossed all Red Lines . . .
Washington has long crossed all red lines drawn by Moscow, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 TV channel.
“They [the Americans] have long crossed all these red lines,” he said in response to a question.
In this regard, the Russian envoy pointed to the Nord Stream incident. “I strongly believe that it’s not an individual or a group that is behind this act of sabotage but a government, which has technological capabilities and specially trained people,” Antonov stressed.
Russian-American relations are in an extremely bad shape. […] Nevertheless, I am firmly convinced that Russia and the US are doomed to at least talk about problems of strategic stability,” the envoy said.
Meanwhile, the envoy noted that Washington’s rhetoric towards Russia hasn’t changed.
“I have to admit that no changes happened in rhetoric of the White House, the Department of State and, most importantly, the Pentagon. There is still only one goal: to pressure Russia, to impose new sanctions, to demolish Russia,” the diplomat said.
When asked which party Russia would like to see as the winner of the US elections, Antonov said the elections are a US internal affair.
“It’s up to the Americans who they choose. <…> We will try to build pragmatic, equitable relations with any people who will be in the White House, the Capitol and the State Department,” he said.
The countries (USA and Russia), despite the difficulties, are not yet(!) on the verge of a nuclear conflict”.
An American comments…
This is hard to admit, but as someone who grew up in the USA I was taught in a thousand ways that this country sets every standard and deserves deference from everyplace else on earth.
It was so ingrained that I didn’t even know it was an assumption … until I was outside the states and it was obvious that the USA is not the center of the universe.
People are doing just fine all over the place without, you know, being us.
What’s more, the myth we tell ourselves is that everyone in the world would live here if they only could.
No, they wouldn’t.
A whole lot of people see us as a collection of fools, greedheads, and bumblers who happen to have been born in a place with a lot of natural resources.
Since Trump, of course, the idea that our system of government is magically self-correcting is also under serious question.
Belarus Orders Its Schools To Open, Clean, Paint, and Stock BOMB SHELTERS
All schools in the country of Belarus have been ordered to open, clean, paint, stock, and prepare for use, their BOMB SHELTERS.
If any of the shelters were not completed, the construction work is to resume immediately to completion!
When asked why this had to be done, authorities told school officials “in case of war.”
During the period when Belarus was a state of the old Soviet Union, the construction of all official public buildings had to include the construction of a bomb shelter against nuclear war. So the shelters have been there for years . . . just not used for anything much.
Now, the schools have been ordered to get those shelters ready.
What does THAT tell you about the coming spread of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the coming involvement of other countries?
American moves to Australia
I moved to Australia when I was 20 and I thought people were going to be speaking English. I was wrong.
Me, “I’m going to McDonald’s, you want me to get you a breakfast burrito?”
Shane, “Oi Maccas Fair Dinkum mate! Had to ruck up early for the physio and me ute was out of petrol so stopped at the servo and asked the Sheila if they had brekky but noooouaahho just lollies so ive been getting aggro”
None of the sounds that just fell out of your head were words. Do you want a burrito or not?
Alabama – Mountain Music (Official Video)
Major Undersea Communications Cable Cut off southern France
A major Internet cable in the South of France was severed yesterday at 20:30 UTC, impacting subsea cable connectivity to Europe, Asia, and the United States and causing data packet losses and increased website response latency.
Cloud security company Zscaler reports that they made routing adjustments to mitigate the impact. However, users still face problems due to app and content providers routing traffic through the impacted paths.
“Zscaler is working with the content providers to have them influence their portion of the path,” reads a notice from Zscaler.
“If you experience slowness with specific applications, especially applications hosted overseas, please contact the application provider and refer them to this trust post.”
The repair crews moved quickly on the scene but had to wait for the police to collect evidence before they were allowed to work on restoring the damage.
At 23:00 UTC, it was confirmed that the incident had impacted three links: Marseille-Lyon, Marseille-Milano, and Marseille-Barcelona.
This undersea cable cut comes as Scotland is also dealing with cuts to TWO undersea communications cables connecting the mainland to the Shetland Islands (Story Here)
(Hal Turner Remark: Gee, after someone blew up Russia's Nord Stream undersea natural gas pipelines, suddenly a lot of other undersea infrastructure is being damaged. I wonder why?)
Janie Fricke It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Easy live 1986 Classic Country
Folk from New Zealand would be arrested in the United States…
In the USA it is against the law…
‘Peaceful modernization’: China’s offering to the Global South
Xi Jinping just offered the Global South a stark alternative to decades of western diktats, war, and economic duress. 'Peaceful modernization' will establish sovereignty, economy, and independence for the world's struggling states
By Pepe Escobar
President Xi Jinping’s work report at the start of the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) this past Sunday in Beijing contained not only a blueprint for the development of the civilization-state, but for the whole Global South.
Xi’s 1h45min speech actually delivered a shorter version of the full work report – see attached PDF – which gets into way more detail on an array of socio-political themes.
This was the culmination of a complex collective effort that went on for months. When he received the final text, Xi commented, revised and edited it.
In a nutshell, the CPC master plan is twofold: finalize “socialist modernization” from 2020 to 2035; and build China – via peaceful modernization – as a modern socialist country that is “prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious” all the way to 2049, signaling the centenary of the foundation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The central concept in the work report is peaceful modernization – and how to accomplish it.
As Xi summarized, “It contains elements that are common to the modernization processes of all countries, but it is more characterized by features that are unique to the Chinese context.”
Very much in tune with Confucian Chinese culture, “peaceful modernization” encapsulates a complete theoretical system. Of course there are multiple geoeconomic paths leading to modernization – according to the national conditions of any particular country. But for the Global South as a whole, what really matters is that the Chinese example completely breaks with the western TINA (“there is no alternative”) monopoly on modernization practice and theory.
Not to mention it breaks with the ideological straitjacket imposed on the Global South by the self-defined “golden billion” (of which the really “golden” barely reach 10 million). What the Chinese leadership is saying is that the Iranian model, the Ugandan model or the Bolivian model are all as valid as the Chinese experiment: what matters is pursuing an independent path towards development.
How to develop tech independence
The recent historical record shows how every nation trying to develop outside the Washington Consensus is terrorized at myriad hybrid war levels. This nation becomes a target of color revolutions, regime change, illegal sanctions, economic blockade, NATO sabotage or outright bombing and/invasion.
What China proposes echoes across the Global South because Beijing is the largest trade partner of no less than 140 nations, who can easily grasp concepts such as high-quality economic development and self-reliance in science and technology.
The report stressed the categorical imperative for China from now on: to speed up technology self-reliance as the Hegemon is going no holds barred to derail China tech, especially in the manufacturing of semiconductors.
In what amount to a sanctions package from Hell, the Hegemon is betting on crippling China’s drive to accelerate its tech independence in semiconductors and the equipment to produce them.
So China will need to engage in a national effort on semiconductor production. That necessity will be at the core of what the work report describes as a new development strategy, spurred by the tremendous challenge of achieving tech self-sufficiency. Essentially China will go for strengthening the public sector of the economy, with state companies forming the nucleus for a national system of tech innovation development.
‘Small fortresses with high walls’
On foreign policy, the work report is very clear: China is against any form of unilateralism as well as blocs and exclusive groups targeted against particular countries. Beijing refers to these blocs, such as NATO and AUKUS, as “small fortresses with high walls.”
This outlook is inscribed in the CPC’s emphasis on another categorical imperative: reforming the existing system of global governance, extremely unfair to the Global South. It’s always crucial to remember that China, as a civilization-state, considers itself simultaneously as a socialist country and the world’s leading developing nation.
The problem once again is Beijing’s belief in “safeguarding the international system with the UN at its core.” Most Global South players know how the Hegemon subjects the UN – and its voting mechanism – to all sorts of relentless pressure.
It’s enlightening to pay attention to the very few westerners that really know one or two things about China.
Martin Jacques, until recently a senior fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University, and author of arguably the best book in English on China’s development, is impressed by how China’s modernization happened in a context dominated by the west: “This was the key role of the CPC. It had to be planned. We can see how extraordinarily successful it has been.”
The implication is that by breaking the west-centric TINA model, Beijing has accumulated the tools to be able to assist Global South nations with their own models.
Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, is even more upbeat: “China will become a leader of innovation. I very much hope and count on China becoming a leader for innovation in sustainability.” That will contrast with a ‘dysfunctional’ American model turning protectionist even in business and investment.
Mikhail Delyagin, deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, makes a crucial point, certainly noted by key Global South players: the CPC “was able to creatively adapt the Marxism of the 19th century and its experience of the 20th century to new requirements and implement eternal values with new methods. This is a very important and useful lesson for us.”
And that’s the added value of a model geared towards the national interest and not the exclusivist policies of Global Capital.
BRI or bust
Implied throughout the work report is the importance of the overarching concept of Chinese foreign policy: the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its trade/connectivity corridors across Eurasia and Africa.
It was up to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin to clarify where BRI is heading:
“BRI transcends the outdated mentality of geopolitical games, and created a new model of international cooperation. It is not an exclusive group that excludes other participants but an open and inclusive cooperation platform. It is not just China’s solo effort, but a symphony performed by all participating countries.”
BRI is inbuilt in the Chinese concept of “opening up.” It is also important to remember that BRI was launched by Xi nine years ago – in Central Asia (Astana) and then Southeast Asia (Jakarta). Beijing has earned from its mistakes, and keeps fine-tuning BRI in consultation with partners – from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Malaysia to several African nations.
It is no wonder, that by August this year, China’s trade with countries participating in BRI had reached a whopping $12 trillion, and non-financial direct investment in those countries surpassed $140 billion.
Wang correctly points out that following BRI infrastructure investments, “East Africa and Cambodia have highways, Kazakhstan has [dry] ports for exports, the Maldives has its first cross-sea bridge and Laos has become a connected country from a landlocked one.”
Even under serious challenges, from zero-Covid to assorted sanctions and the breakdown of supply chains, the number of China-EU express cargo trains keeps going up; the China-Laos Railway and the Peljesac Bridge in Croatia are open for business; and work on the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway and the China-Thailand Railway is in progress.
Mackinder on crack
All over the extremely incandescent global chessboard, international relations are being completely reframed.
China – and key Eurasian players at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS+, and Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) – are all proposing peaceful development.
In contrast, the Hegemon imposes an avalanche of sanctions – not by accident the top three recipients are Eurasian powers Russia, Iran and China; lethal proxy wars (Ukraine); and every possible strand of hybrid war to prevent the end of its supremacy, which lasted barely seven and a half decades, a blip in historical terms.
The current dysfunction – physical, political, financial, cognitive – is reaching a climax. As Europe plunges into the abyss of largely self-inflicted devastation and darkness – a neo-medievalism in woke register – an internally ravaged Empire resorts to plundering even its wealthy “allies”.
It’s as if we are all witnessing a Mackinder-on-crack scenario.
Halford Mackinder, of course, was the British geographer who developed the ‘Heartland Theory’ of geopolitics, heavily influencing US foreign policy during the Cold War: “Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland; Who rules the Heartland commands the World Island; Who rules the World Island commands the World.”
Russia spans 11 time zones and sits atop as much as one third of the world’s natural resources. A natural symbiosis between Europe and Russia is like a fact of life. But the EU oligarchy blew it.
It’s no wonder the Chinese leadership views the process with horror, because one of BRI’s essential planks is to facilitate seamless trade between China and Europe. As Russia’s connectivity corridor has been blocked by sanctions, China will be privileging corridors via West Asia.
Meanwhile, Russia is completing its pivot to the east. Russia’s enormous resources, combined with the manufacturing capability of China and East Asia as a whole, project a trade/connectivity sphere that goes even beyond BRI. That’s at the heart of the Russian concept of Greater Eurasia Partnership.
In another one of History’s unpredictable twists, Mackinder a century ago may have been essentially right about those controlling the Heartland/world island controlling the world. It doesn’t look like the controller will be the Hegemon, and much less its European vassals/slaves.
When the Chinese say they are against blocs, Eurasia and The West are the facto two blocs. Though not yet formally at war with each other, in reality they already are knee deep into Hybrid War territory.
Russia and Iran are on the frontline – militarily and in terms of absorbing non-stop pressure. Other important Global South players, quietly, try to either keep a low profile or, even more quietly, assist China and the others to make the multipolar world prevail economically.
As China proposes peaceful modernization, the hidden message of the work report is even starker. The Global South is facing a serious choice: choose either sovereignty – embodied in a multipolar world, peacefully modernizing – or outright vassalage.
Perception of time in Chile
George Strait – Fool Hearted Memory (Featuring Johnny Gimble)
I could sing the shit out of this song at a KTV.
Communications Cables CUT for Portion of UK
Communications to the Shetland Islands, UK, have been severely disrupted after a subsea cable was “damaged.”
Police have declared a major incident after the south subsea cable between the islands and the mainland was cut.
The force said some landlines and mobiles were not usable and that officers were patrolling to try to reassure residents.
Repairs to another cable connecting Shetland and Faroe are ongoing after it was damaged last week.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was an emergency situation for the island.
The Scottish government’s resilience committee had met and was working with partner agencies to ensure support was provided, she added.
She said the assumption was the damage was accidental, adding: “There is nothing to suggest otherwise, but work is continuing to assess exactly what the cause of the problem has been.”
MP for Orkney and Shetlands Alastair Carmichael told the BBC he had raised the issue with the UK government, but understood it could be days before communications were restored.
He said the priority was fixing the issue but that resilience would also need to be looked at in future.
American body shape
Hang On, Your TAX dollars are paying for this?
Sounds like a slush fund and a payoff.
Toad the Wet Sprocket – Crazy Life – Live in San Francisco
I just love to sing this at the KTV.
Egyptian Hawawshi (Stuffed Pita)
Hawawshi is a traditional Egyptian stuffed pita street food. It’s much like a burger baked inside pita bread. The spiced meat filling is packed with flavor and when combined with the crisp bread, makes a delicious snack.
Many cultures have some form of handheld meat pie or sandwich that makes a perfect grab-and-go snack or meal. In some places, these are found at street stalls or small stores which lure you in with their tasty smells.
This is one of the classic snacks that you’ll find in Egypt and it’s easy to see why.
What are the origins of hawawshi?
Hawawshi is named after its creator, Ahmed al-Hawawshi, who was a butcher in Cairo. He created the dish in the 1970s by creating the signature meat filling in his products.
He would sell them from his stall around Cairo’s streets.
The dish soon caught on as a tasty snack. It was relatively inexpensive too, being made with ground beef (typically chuck).
These days, you’ll find them sold at stalls and restaurants, as well as made at home around the country.
The original version was made using baladi bread, which is like a slightly thick round pita bread made with part or all whole wheat flour. This is the most common version found in most of the country today as well.
However, in Alexandria, the meat filling is typically wrapped between two pieces of raw dough and everything is baked together.
What is hawawshi filling?
You’ll find a few variations in the filling ingredients, but variations are more in quantity than in actual ingredients.
The filling is typically ground beef, onion, garlic, green pepper, as well as parsley, and some dry spices.
Some recipes include tomato, either as fresh or as paste, but not all.
The spices are some of the most typical in Egyptian cuisine, as you might find in the sabaa baharat spice blend (which you can certainly use rather than the individual spices). These often include some or all of coriander, cumin, nutmeg, allspice, pepper, and paprika.
How to fill the bread
Using ready-made bread is generally the easiest way to make hawawshi. And you have a couple of different ways to cut and fill them.
You can either cut them in half and put some filling in the half-circle piece. Or, you can cut a slight opening on the side of the whole bread and fill from there.
Filling a whole bread round generally keeps the meat a little juicier while with the half-round, you get a slightly crisp meat edge on the side.
Filling the half bread is a little easier but certainly, both are very doable. So it really just depends on what you prefer.
Exactly how full you make them is also up to your taste.
Hawawshi is an easy and flavorful savory bite that only needs a few ingredients with delicious results.
Serve them with tahini sauce on the side for dipping.
They make a great addition to a meze meal, to enjoy as a snack, or serve as part of a party platter. It’s no wonder this street food has become so popular.
Ingredients
- 3 baladi bread (or pita pockets)
For the filling
- 1/4 large onion (or 1/2 of a small/medium onion), finely chopped
- 1/4 green pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 tomato, finely chopped
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 lb ground beef (80% – don’t use lean for this)
- 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
For the spice seasoning*
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp cardamom
- 1/8 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Brush a large baking sheet with a little oil.
- Either cut the bread rounds in half, or cut a slit along the edge on one side, around 2 inches in length.
- Finley chop the onion, pepper, and tomato, and crush or finely chop the garlic.
- Mix together the ground beef, onion, pepper, tomato, garlic, parsley, and spices. Mix everything well so the ingredients are well-distributed – this is often easiest done by hand.
- Divide the mixture between the bread rounds and fill as far as possible, taking care not to break the bread. Spread the filling relatively evenly towards the edges.
- Place the filled bread on the baking sheet and brush both sides of the bread with a little oil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes, then turn and bake for another 5 minutes, approximately, until the bread is browned and gently crisp on both sides and the meat is cooked through. (The center of the filling should register 150-155F when with a thermometer.)
- Best served warm, or they can be served at room temperature. Typically served with tahini sauce on the side to dip.
Hank Williams, Jr. – “A Country Boy Can Survive” (Official Music Video)
Nap time
Betty White commercial!
Betty White made her way into America’s heart, not on television but on the radio. She started her career in the 1930s on a dramatic radio program called Empire Builders. At this time, she was only eight! Of course, White was an ambitious youngster, so she was not satisfied with just being on the radio.
White auditioned for many parts throughout the 1940s, finally securing her first break. It wasn’t a movie role but rather a small television commercial, thanks to a conversation with producer Frank Van Hartesveldt in an elevator.
Her line? Just saying the word “Parkay,” the butter brand. She nailed it, obviously!
After this small success, she never looked back. White would go on to feature in many commercials throughout a storied career.
WTF?
You have to be shitting me? You have to pay to use a toilet????
Merle Haggard – Are the Good Times Really Over (I Wish a Buck Was Still Silver)
I could also sing this song at a KTV.
Betty White loved animals
One of the things that made Betty White so lovable is that she had so much love to give! She even had enough love for our four-legged friends. She hosted a show called The Pet Set in 1971, which featured famous people and their pets!
White also turned down a movie role because of her love of pets. She was offered the role of Helen Hunt’s mother in the movie As Good As It Gets, starring Jack Nicholson. One of the movie’s most memorable scenes showcases Nicholson’s character getting frustrated with a dog outside his door. Nicholson’s character then throws the dog down his apartment building’s trash chute. While I don’t think this scene was written to be deliberately cruel to animals, White would not stand for it. She asked the director (James L. Brooks) if they could cut or rewrite the scene. They refused and recast White’s role instead (to Shirley Knight).
It is certainly rare for an actor to turn down a role out of principle. That’s another reason you can’t help but love Betty White!
Charly McClain Danicng Your Memory Away
China story
I never heard such a thing. But, it’s a cute story. Eh?
Lemonheads -Rudderless
Great KTV song.
TV CLAIM: Nuclear Bomb Set in Mykolaiv – Will Be Detonated By Ukraine to Blame Russia
Television stations in both Russia and in Ukraine are broadcasting claims that a nuclear bomb is in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, and will be detonated. Yet in Russia, the TV stations say this is a Ukrainian plot to blame Russia so as to get NATO to come into the war, but in Ukraine their TV is saying it is a Russian Bomb because Russia is losing the war.
HAL TURNER ANALYSIS AND EDITORIAL OPINION
With BOTH sides now claiming there is a nuclear bomb in Ukraine that WILL be detonated, many on both sides are being lead to believe this is now factual – although there is NO PROOF.
The map below shows Mykolaiv, so readers can familiarize themselves with the area:
For its part, the United States and its NATO vassals, have been playing this up for weeks in the western media, falsely claiming that somehow Russia is losing the war, and must therefore resort to a nuclear attack.
For its part, Russia has pointed out that Ukraine had the largest standing army in Europe when Russia began its Special Military Operation in February. When it began, Russia committed less than ten percent of its actual army to the fight.
In less than 6 months, that ten percent of the Russian Army destroyed the Ukraine Army so badly, they had to start asking for donations of weapons from NATO, and begin conscripting men all the way up to 60 years old.
In fact, just this week, Ukraine is enacting legislation for conscripting boys ages TWELVE (12) thru seventeen (17).
Russia also points out that in those 6 months, Russia has taken 163,000 square kilometers of Ukraine, and has legally annexed four full states: Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporozyhe. If that’s “losing” then there must be some strange, new, definition of “losing.”
As such, the Russians say, Russia has no need and no plans to use any nuclear weapons. Besides, they say, if a nuclear bomb detonates in Ukraine, the fallout will likely drift into Russia and they definitely don’t want that.
These facts are irrefutable, and do favor Russia’s position that there is no need to use any nuclear device.
Speculation about Ukraine, however, is another story. It is factually correct that Ukraine’s Army has been decimated on the battlefield. It is factually correct that Ukraine had to begin conscripting men as old as age 60. It is factually correct that Ukraine is now enacting legislation to draft boys ages 12 thru 17.
With these established facts, it is clear to any thinking person that Ukraine is in dire straits and needs NATO to enter the war in order to have any chance of even surviving, never mind winning. The ONLY way to get NATO to enter the war, is if Russia uses Chemical, Biological, or Nuclear weapons.
So the notion that Ukraine is going to detonate a nuke so as to trigger NATO’s entry into the war, is not far fetched at all. Ukraine is losing the war, it desperately needs NATO entry and that would be achieved if a nuke detonates.
The question, of course, is . . . . who gave Ukraine the nuke?
That aside, if a nuclear explosion does take place anywhere in Ukraine, and Russia is immediately blamed, it is widely expected that NATO would immediately enter the hostilities on the side of Ukraine, and by doing so, would instantly trigger World War 3.
Russia, if they actually were NOT the ones who did it, would see this as having THEIR TROOPS hit with a nuclear attack which, under Russian nuclear doctrine, would then permit Russia to use nuclear weapons.
Result: Instant nuclear war. With no warning for any of us.
That is the precarious situation the world finds itself in this 21st Day of October, 2022.
God Help us.
The Lemonheads – My Drug Buddy (Video)
Another great KTV song.
Imeruli Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)
This Imeruli Khachapuri is a delicious Georgian cheese-filled bread. You can eat it as a snack or pair it with a fresh vegetable salad for a full meal. This recipe is very easy to make and perfect for beginners.
What is Khachapuri?
Khachapuri is a traditional Georgian savory cheese-filled bread.
There are quite a few variations of this dish from different regions of Georgia.
For example, there is Adjaruli (Adjarian) khachapuri, which is a boat-shaped bread topped with melted cheese and egg. There is also Megruli (Megrelian) khachapuri which is a cheese-stuffed bread with the additional rich layer of cheese on top.
And, possibly the most popular one, Imeruli (Imeretian) Khachapuri is a flatbread with a cheese-based filling.
What Cheese Should I Use to Make Imeruli Khachapuri?
Khachapuri is traditionally made with a mix of local Imeruli and Sulguni cheeses, which are very popular in Georgia. It’s also often made with just Sulguni cheese.
But is it possible to find these cheeses if you live somewhere far away from Georgia?
Or, maybe, there are some cheeses that are similar and could be used instead?
I decided to find out, and visited a grocery store that specializes in European products.
I asked if they sell Imeruli or Sulguni cheese or something similar. I didn’t have any luck with Imeruli cheese. But to my surprise, I was told that they did in fact have Sulguni cheese available at the store. Of course, it wasn’t imported from Georgia, but it still had a Sulguni cheese label on it.
The lovely grocery store clerk also explained to me that the Sulguni cheese is also sold labeled as Spanish or Portuguese Fresh Cheese.
Substitutions For Sulguni Cheese
Even if you don’t find Sulguni or Spanish Fresh Cheese, you can still make delicious khachapuri.
An excellent substitution for Sulguni cheese is low moisture mozzarella cheese, which can be mixed with feta or dry cottage cheese to make the filling for this cheese bread.
Do I Use Yeast in Imeruli Khachapuri?
The dough for khachapuri can be prepared with or without yeast.
I prefer to make it without yeast because it’s faster, and Imeruli khachapuri doesn’t really need to rise that much.
The variation without yeast is usually prepared using matsoni, which is a fermented dairy product popular in Armenia and Georgia. It’s also an ingredient that you probably won’t find in your grocery store if you live in North America or Australia.
Matsoni can be replaced with kefir, buttermilk, or plain yogurt.
How to Make Imeruli Khachapuri
Start by preparing the dough and the filling following the instructions provided in the recipe card.
Once you are ready to shape the khachapuri, follow these four steps:
Step 1. Lightly dust a smooth, dry surface with a little bit of flour to make sure the dough doesn’t stick. Take a dough ball, place it on the prepared surface, and start flattening it with your fingers forming a circle. You can also use a rolling pin.
Step 2. Place 1/4 of the filling onto the dough.
Step 3. Pull the edges of the dough to the top and pinch them together. Press firm because you don’t want the dough edges to fall apart when you start rolling the khachapuri in the next step.
Step 4. Flatten the khachapuri again, first with your fingers and then with a rolling pin—this time you have to be careful not to tear the dough. If you see an air bubble forming inside, punch a hole in the dough with a toothpick or with the end of a knife to let out the air. Try to roll the khachapuri as thin as you can or at least 6.5 or 7 inches in diameter.
Now It’s Your Turn
If you live far away from Georgia in a country that doesn’t allow to import Georgian dairy products and decide to make some khachapuri, you will have to make a few substitutions. But don’t let it stop you!
Even if you don’t have access to matsoni or Sulguni cheese, you can still make delicious Imeruli khachapuri.
Making khachapuri is a great way to start exploring Georgian cuisine and learn more about the rich culture of this beautiful country.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3/4 cup kefir, buttermilk, or plain yogurt, room temperature or slightly warm
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups all purpose white flour + 1/4 cup for flouring the surface
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
For the Filling
- 1/2 pound Sulguni cheese*
- 1 egg, beaten (optional)
- pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions
Make the dough**
- Add the kefir, egg, sugar, and salt to a large bowl. Mix to combine.
- Add the baking soda and mix for a few seconds until you see the bubbles.
- Sift half of the flour into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth consistency.
- Add the vegetable oil and continue mixing until the oil is incorporated into the dough.
- Sift the rest of the flour into the bowl and start kneading the dough with your hands.
- Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until it’s smooth and no longer sticky.
- Divide the dough into four parts and form balls. Put the dough balls back into the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Set aside to let the dough rest for about 20 to 30
minutes.
Prepare the filling
- Grate the cheese, place it into a bowl. Add the egg if using, mix, and and season with salt. Divide the filling into four portions.
Shape the khachapuri
- First, flatten a dough ball with your fingers and then roll it with a rolling pin into a circle.
- Place ¼ of filling in the middle of the dough circle.
- Pull the edges of the dough to the top of the filling and pinch them tightly together to enclose the filling inside.
- Carefully flatten the khachapuri using your fingers and/or a rolling pin. Be careful to not tear the dough. If you see a bubble forming inside, pinch the dough with a toothpick to release the air. Try to roll as thin as you can or at least 6.5 or 7 inches in diameter. Repeat with each dough ball.
Cook khachapuri
- Melt the butter in a microwave or on the stove top.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat***.
- Place a khachapuri onto the skillet and cook until golden and lightly charred in some places, for about 3 minutes, flip and cook on the other side.
- Once the khachapuri is cooked through and the cheese has melted, transfer it onto a flat plate and generously brush with the melted butter.
- Repeat with the remaining khachapuri. Serve right away.
Notes
*If you can’t find Sulguni cheese, use low moisture mozzarella mixed with feta cheese or dry cottage cheese. I find 2 parts or mozzarella and 1 part of feta or dried cottage cheese works well. Make sure to taste for salt content.
**If you have a standing mixer, you can use it to make the dough.
***It’s usually recommended to cook khachapuri on a dry skillet. But on some skillets, khachapuri tends to burn if no oil is used. So, when it doubt, lightly oil the skillet with vegetable oil.
Listen to the Radio 1982 Don Williams
FOUR **MORE** REGIONS IN UKRAINE TO HOLD SECESSION REFERENDUMS TO JON RUSSIA
BREAKING NEWS – SAT. OCTOBER 22, 2022 — Four more Oblasts (states) presently in Ukraine, will hold Public Referendums on Seceding from Ukraine to join Russia!
We are talking about the Nikolaev, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions.
More details coming . . . Check back.
The Lemonheads – “It’s A Shame About Ray” Live on Letterman
Moscow Hospitals Ordered to Equip and Stock Operating Rooms in BOMB SHELTERS
The Moscow, Russia, Public Health Authority has issued ORDERS to all hospitals to commence equipping and stocking Operating Rooms in the BOMB SHELTERS located in or near each hospital.
If the Hospital does not have its own Bomb Shelter, it must equip and stock an operating room in the nearest actual bomb shelter, starting immediately.
This ORDER comes just one day after a Presidential Decree placing all regions of Russia on “Basic war Preparation” with several Border regions placed on Elevated War Preparations, and four areas of former Ukraine placed on High War Preparation.
On Going Seriously Boom
A visualization of what Western imbeciles are playing with, that could finish us all off.
Pleasurable excitement ripples through the usual boredom of Washington, and the resident curiosities enjoy exquisite frissons, over the possibility of nuclear war over the Ukraine.
Some official of the EU, or maybe it was the mediocrity in the White House with the truculence problem, but anyway, one of the geniuses ruling the planet’s fate, has said that if Russia used nukes, the Russian army would be destroyed, grrr, bowwow, woof.
Exactly how it would be destroyed, the sayer didn’t say.
Anyway, the threats and counter threats swirl around the idea that a nuke war between Russia and the West might occur. Maybe, with tactical nukes in the Ukraine, about which nobody gives a rat’s nether region.
The world is full of damned fools.
But: The general staffs of both Russia and China are, whatever else you may think of them, sane.
They know of America’s massive nuclear forces.
They are not going to launch an atomic war.
Sane behavior cannot be relied on with Washington’s second-rate lawyers, but the generals in the Pentagon are not crazy.
They like hobbyist wars and big budgets, but if Biden ordered a nuclear strike, they would be likely to suddenly remember that Congress has to declare war and, seeing that their radar screens were empty of incoming missiles, say, “Mr. President, we are not authorized to do that.”
And recommend a committee.
What would such a war be like? Let’s guess.
America is fragile.
We don’t notice because it works smoothly and because when a local catastrophe occurs—earthquake, hurricane, tornado—the rest of the country steps in to remedy things.
The country can handle normal and regional catastrophes.
But nuclear war is neither normal nor regional. Very few warheads would serve to wreck the United States beyond recovery for decades. This should be clear to anyone who actually thinks about it.
Defense is impossible.
Missile defenses are meaningless except as money funnels to the arms industry. This is not the place to go into decoys, hypersonics, Poseidon, maneuvering glide vehicles, bastion stationing, MIRV, just plain boring old cruise missiles, and so on.
Coastal cities are particularly easy targets, being vulnerable to submarine-launched sea-skimming missiles.
Washington, New York, Boston, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle for starters— all gone.
A modern country is a system of systems of systems, interdependent and interconnected—water, electricity, manufacturing, energy, telecommunications, transportation, pipelines, and complex supply chains.
These are interconnected, interdependent, and rely on large numbers of trained people showing up for work.
Modern warheads are not the popgun squibs of Hiroshima.
Talking of repair any time soon after the nuclear bombing of a conurbation is foolish because the city would have many hundreds of thousand of dead, housing destroyed, massive fires, horrendously burned people with no hope of medical care, and in general, populations too focused on staying alive to worry about abstractions like supply chains.
What would happen in, say, New York City even if, improbably, it were not bombed? Here we will ignore the likelihood of sheer, boiling panic and resultant chaos on learning that much of the country had been flattened.
In the first few days there would be panic buying with shelves at supermarkets being emptied.
Hunger would soon become serious.
By day four, people would be hunting each other with knives to get their food. By the end of the second week, people would be eating each other. Literally. This happens in famines.
Most things in America rely on electricity.
This comes from generating plants that burn stuff, usually natural gas or coal. These arrive on trains, which would not be running, or in trucks, not likely to be running. They depend on oil fields, refineries, and pipelines unlikely to function. All of the foregoing depend on employees continuing to go to work instead of trying to save their families.
So—no electricity in New York, which goes dark.
This means no telephones, no internet, no lighting, and no elevators. How would this work out in a city of high rises? Most people would be nearly incommunicado in a lightless city.
Huge traffic jams would form as people with cars tried to leave—to go where?—as long as gasoline in the tank lasted.
Where does water come from in New York?
I don’t know, but it doesn’t flow spontaneously to the thirtieth floor. It needs to be pumped, which involves electricity, from wherever it comes from to wherever it has to go. No electricity, no pump. No pump, no water. And no flushing of toilets. River water could be drunk, of course.
Think of the crowds.
In all likelihood, civil society would collapse by the end of the fourth day.
The more virile ethnics would surge from the ghettos with guns and clubs to feed. Police would have disappeared or be either looking after their families or themselves looting.
Civilization is a thin veneer.
The streets and subways are not safe even without a nuclear war. The majority would be unarmed and unable to defend themselves. People who had never touched a gun would suddenly understand the appeal.
If you think this would not happen, give my best to Tinker Belle.
Thus it would not be necessary to bomb a city to destroy it, only to cut it off from transport hubs for a couple of weeks.
An attacker would of course destroy many cities in addition to the necessary infrastructure. Those who plan nuclear wars may be psychopaths, or just insular geeks fiddling with bloodless abstractions, but they are not fools.
They have carefully calculated how to most seriously damage a target country. In no more than a couple of months, perhaps two hundred million people would starve to death. Do you think this fantastic?
Tell me why it is fantastic.
Parenthetically, in my days of walking the E-ring in the Pentagon, I read manuals on how to keep soldiers fighting after they had received lethal doses of radiation.
They don’t die immediately and, depending on dosage, might be administered stimulants to keep them on their feet, or so the manuals said. These manuals also discussed whether these walking dead should be told that they were about to die.
The authors used the evocative phrase “terrain alteration” to describe landscapes with all the trees lying on their sides, and we have all heard of “overkill.” After a nuclear war, millions would slowly die of radiation—read up on Nagasaki and Hiroshima—and burned corpses would rot in the streets, too numerous for burial by survivors with other things on their minds.
How would the next season’s crops be planted?
Answer: they wouldn’t be.
Where would fertilizer come from? Parts for tractors, trucks, harvesters? Making these requires functioning factories which require electricity, raw materials, and workers. If the attacker chose to hit agricultural lands with radiation-dirty cobalt bombs, these regions would be lethal for years.
Nuclear planners think about these things.
Among “defense intellectuals,” there is, or was when I covered such things, insane talk of how America could “absorb” a Russian first strike and have enough missiles in reserve to destroy Russia.
These people should be locked in sealed boxes and kept in abandoned coal mines.
Note also that Biden, Blinken, and Bolton, bibbety bobbety boo, and their families, live in DC, the priority target.
While the rats are aboard the ship, they won’t sink it.
If they are discovered boarding a Greyhound out of Washington at three a.m., dressed as washerwomen, it will be time to worry.
Faith No More – Epic