No matter how crazy things get, keep in mind that there are a couple of things that you can count on…
- The United States fails at everything it does, tries to do, or intends to do.
- China succeeds at everything it does, tries to do and intends to do.
So, were a “hot” war to occur between the two powers, it is unlikely that the above calculus would change.
Hoàng Thuỳ Linh – See Tình | Official Music Video
Vietnamese song very popular in China. Watch the entire video.
Have you, while repairing a computer, ever found anything that made your jaw drop?
I had worked at a nuclear power station for 28 years as a nuclear chemist and chemistry supervisor. I decided to step down from management and take a computer analysist position for our IT department. I had earned a masters degree in computer science and felt I needed some more hands on experience with computers if I wanted to work part time in retirement.
The person whose job I was taking over, told me that he routinely backed up the hard drives on critical computers in the plant. One such computer was an ancient DELL PC that had proprietary hardware and software running on it. The purpose of the computer was to automatically extract and convert plant equipment analog signals to digital which was used by control room personnel to monitoring critical plant equipment during operation.
While he was showing me how to do this, I asked him, “Do you defrag the hard drive before backing it up?” He said he never thought about that and it sounded like a good idea. When we went to try and defrag it it looked similar to this:
Only it was solid red. It was over 85% fragmented. Even after several attempts, we couldn’t defrag it. I suggested we get another hard drive and image it with an older, clean backup, just in case the one on the computer failed. Unfortunately, it didn’t exist and the company who developed the software no longer supported it. To make matters worse when I opened up the computer case to get hardware information it looked similar to this:
I pretty much considered it a miracle that it had survived as long as it did. About the only thing we could do blow it out with air and pray that it would keep running long enough to find and build a replacement, which took nearly a year. I only stayed at this job for a little over a year simple because of the nightmares.
Documents posted online appeared to reveal details of how US agencies spy on other nations, including allies.
A series of documents, purporting to contain highly classified Pentagon intelligence related to the Ukraine war and information gathering on close US allies, have emerged online in recent weeks.
As United States media has increasingly reported on the apparent leak, officials have walked a careful line in their response, with Pentagon spokesman Chris Meagher saying that the circulating photos “appear to show documents similar in format” to those provided to senior military leaders.
On Monday, Meagher said the documents could pose “a very serious risk to national security”.
While further details have continued to emerge, it is clear the situation has sent shock waves through the US administration, as it seeks to contain and assess the scope of any data breach, while roiling allies.
Here’s what you need to know.
Where did the documents first emerge?
According to the investigative website Bellingcat, the documents appear to have first
emerged in photos posted on Discord, an online social media platform that is popular with gamers.
The photos show creased documents placed on top of magazines and other household objects. Former officials who reviewed the photos told the New York Times they appeared to have been folded, possibly to be taken from a secure location in a pocket.
Bellingcat further traced the leak to a now-defunct Discord server. Their research suggested that the documents had already appeared on social media in March, when some were dated. The open-source investigative website also said it had viewed evidence some of the documents were posted as far back as January on Discord.
The documents bear classified markings, with some labelled “top secret”, the highest level of classification, and appear to be briefing slides prepared by the US military’s chief of staff.
Some also contain the marking NOFORN, or “Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals”, meaning they cannot be shared with foreign intelligence agencies, including Five Eyes, the collection of spy agencies in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, according to the New York Times.
The images of the documents spread from Discord to the online imageboard 4chan, before emerging on more mainstream social media platforms, according to Bellingcat.
Who may have leaked the documents?
The US Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the incident, but amid much speculation, no official information has been released on a possible leaker.
The NOFORN classification and geographical breadth of information contained in the documents have led some to speculate the leaker is American, although two US officials told the Reuters news agency that authorities had not ruled out the possibility the documents may have been altered to hide their origin.
One official told Reuters that investigators were looking at four or five theories, from a disgruntled employee to an insider threat who actively wanted to undermine US national security interests.
It was also unclear how the documents came into the possession of the person who leaked them.
But on Tuesday, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed to uncover the identity of the possible leaker: “We will continue to investigate and turn over every rock until we find the source of this and the extent of it.”
And later that day, in a speech from Texas’s Rice University, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns, said that the ongoing investigations into the source of the leaks was “quite intense”.
What do the documents appear to show, and which countries are involved?
The documents purport to reveal a wide range of information, including potentially sensitive information about the Ukraine war. They also indicate that the US has been eavesdropping on its allies, including South Korea and Israel.
Ukraine – If proven authentic, the leaks suggest that the US had been monitoring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s calls with defence and military officials by using signals intelligence.
They also reveal apparent weaknesses in the Ukrainian air defence systems and the size of military battalions.
Russia – The documents would also reveal that the US had penetrated the Russian military forces and the Wagner Group, a mercenary organisation, much more than previously understood.
The documents also reference details about the internal planning of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency. Much of that information on Russian troop movements was gathered through human sources who could now be at risk.
United Arab Emirates – One document appears to show that US spies had caught Russian intelligence officers boasting that they had convinced the oil-rich UAE “to work together against US and UK intelligence agencies”.
The Emirati government on Monday dismissed the accusation that the UAE had deepened ties with Russian intelligence as “categorically false”.
Egypt – One leaked document appeared to show that Egypt planned to supply Russia with rockets and munitions. The paper, dated February 17, claims to summarise conversations between President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and senior Egyptian military officials.
South Korea – Another document appears to provide details of alleged internal discussions among top aides to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol that suggest that the US applied pressure on Seoul to help supply the US with artillery shells, which could then be sent to Ukraine.
Israel – One document, which appears to be a CIA intelligence update from March 1, suggests Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, was encouraging its officers to participate in protests against their government’s plans to weaken the independence of the judiciary. Israel has denied Mossad played a role in the anti-government protests.
What advice can you give to someone who is on the fence about whether or not Western media sources can ever be trusted when they criticize the CCP?
I like Logic
So let’s see the facts here
First is Chinas enormous growth
This is undeniable. From a Agrarian Economy of zero consequence in the 1960s to one of the most powerful industrialized nations on Earth in the 2020s
It happened under the CPC
The Average Chinese has become more educated, has more access to healthcare, has money, has a job and has prospects
So that’s a big big thanks to the CPC
How do i know?
Just look at my Country INDIA
I hate putting down my Country in a public forum but I like facts
In the 1960s we were ahead of the Chinese both Industrially and Development wise
Yet in 2023 ,
our Economy is a Sixth of the size of the Chinese ,
our trade is still in deficit,
we have four times more poor rural households than the Chinese,
We have near zero core technology while even Russia has its Telegram,
We have near zero high manufacture while even Iran makes war grade Drones near indigenously
Since both Nations started at the same time, , were both Socialist for decades and since both Nations began equally poor and since I won’t assume Racial Superiority
The ONLY THING DIFFERENT IS ONE PARTY MERITOCRACY VS CESSPIT DEMOCRACY
Nothing else is different between the Two Nations
And I don’t buy this excuse of religious and cultural diversity being Indias enemy. That’s nonsense
From Bhabha to Tata to Ambani to Premji to Narayana murthy we had Parsi to Hindu to Muslim creating our Industries
Therefore the CPC must have done something that Democracy simply cannot.
And look at India today?
Everything is Politics
An Expressway is not complete and yet is inaugurated at abysmally high costs because of an election
Discipline and Masking were ignored due to elections resulting literally in Covid II and Delta decimating over 150–200K Indians, many rolling about on the roads and dying
Look at China today?
After three years of Lockdowns, they still grew more than India over a three year aggregate timeframe and lost virtually a sixth of the lives that India lost
Again the only difference – CPC versus Democracy
I see nothing else different
On one hand I see a Party without any opposition, doing the best for their people realizing that a Prosperous China is what everyone wants
I see a Populace that agrees and gives mandate to the party in exchange for Growth and Respect of China
Meanwhile i see how Democracy (God I loathe that word so much) has pushed the world into four conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan and seven sizeable regime changes
I see how Democracy has created an Evil Hegemony
I see how Democracy no longer does what the people want, acting every day like brutal dictatorships but pretending to be free Nations
My Advise is thus simple
You heard of a Berlin Wall right?
You know of any such Wall preventing Chinese from leaving China and never coming back?
Nopes
You see the same Western Leaders and their Business Execs meeting Chinese Leaders every day right?
You see Zelensky desperately hanging on to that “Phone call” from Xi
You see Peace between neighbors who were enemies for almost a decade or longer being supervised by the Chinese
So now you tell me – WHOM WOULD YOU BE ROOTING FOR?
And in case you choose the Western Media
Trust me the CPC doesnt give a damn. They simply go on with their jobs
Chicken Gyros with Dill Sauce
Chicken Gyros with Dill Sauce is a traditional Greek sandwich.
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 4 fresh pita bread rounds, heated
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- In small bowl blend together yogurt, 2 tablespoons dill, garlic and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken with oregano, 1 teaspoon dill, salt and pepper. Sauté until browned and cooked through, about about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and sauté onions until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Return chicken and any juices to skillet. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir until heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Top pita rounds with chicken mixture. Spoon dill sauce over chicken and serve. This sandwich is folded in half and eaten. Pass the extra sauce, as desired.
The single Iranian-Saudi handshake buried trillions of dollars of western divide-and-rule investments across West Asia, and has global leaders rushing to Beijing for global solutions.
By Pe.pe Es.cobar
April 07 2023
The idea that History has an endpoint , as promoted by clueless neoconservatives in the unipolar 1990s, is flawed, as it is in an endless process of renewal. The recent official meeting between Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Beijing marks a territory that was previously deemed unthinkable and which has undoubtedly caused grief for the War Inc. machine.
This single handshake signifies the burial of trillions of dollars that were spent on dividing and ruling West Asia for over four decades.
Additionally, the Global War on Terror (GWOT), the fabricated reality of the new millennium, featured as prime collateral damage in Beijing.
Beijing’s optics as the capital of peace have been imprinted throughout the Global South, as evidenced by a subsequent sideshow where a couple of European leaders, a president, and a Eurocrat, arrived as supplicants to Xi Jinping, asking him to join the NATO line on the war in Ukraine.
They were politely dismissed.
Still, the optics were sealed: Beijing had presented a 12-point peace plan for Ukraine that was branded “irrational” by the Washington beltway neocons. The Europeans – hostages of a proxy war imposed by Washington – at least understood that anyone remotely interested in peace needs to go through the ritual of bowing to the new boss in Beijing.
The irrelevance of the JCPOA
Tehran-Riyadh relations, of course, will have a long, rocky way ahead – from activating previous cooperation deals signed in 1998 and 2001 to respecting, in practice, their mutual sovereignty and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
Everything is far from solved – from the Saudi-led war on Yemen to the frontal clash of Persian Gulf Arab monarchies with Hezbollah and other resistance movements in the Levant. Yet that handshake is the first step leading, for instance, to the Saudi foreign minister’s upcoming trip to Damascus to formally invite President Bashar al-Assad to the Arab League summit in Riyadh next month.
It’s crucial to stress that this Chinese diplomatic coup started way back with Moscow brokering negotiations in Baghdad and Oman; that was a natural development of Russia stepping in to help Iran save Syria from a crossover NATO-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) coalition of vultures.
Then the baton was passed to Beijing, in total diplomatic sync.
The drive to permanently bury GWOT and the myriad, nasty ramifications of the US war of terror was an essential part of the calculation; but even more pressing was the necessity to demonstrate how the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran nuclear deal, had become irrelevant.
Both Russia and China have experienced, inside and out, how the US always manages to torpedo a return to the JCPOA, as it was conceived and signed in 2015. Their task became to convince Riyadh and GCC states that Tehran has no interest in weaponizing nuclear power – and will remain a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Then it was up to Chinese diplomatic finesse to make it quite clear that the Persian Gulf monarchies’ fear of revolutionary Shi’ism is now as counter-productive as Tehran’s dread of being harassed and/or encircled by Salafi-jihadis. It’s as if Beijing had coined a motto: drop these hazy ideologies, and let’s do business.
And business it is, and will be: better yet, mediated by Beijing and implicitly guaranteed by both nuclear superpowers Russia and China.
Hop on the de-dollarization train
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) may exhibit some Soprano-like traits, but he’s no fool: he instantly saw how this Chinese offer morphed beautifully into his domestic modernization plans. A Gulf source in Moscow, familiar with MbS’ rise and consolidation of power, details the crown prince’s drive to appeal to the younger Saudi generation who idolize him. Let girls drive their SUVs, go dancing, let their hair down, work hard, and be part of the “new” Saudi Arabia of Vision 2030: a global tourism and services hub, a sort of Dubai on steroids.
And, crucially, this will also be a Eurasia-integrated Saudi Arabia ; future, inevitable member of both the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS+ – just like Iran, which will also be sitting at the same communal tables.
From Beijing’s point of view, this is all about its ambitious, multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). A key BRI connectivity corridor runs from Central Asia to Iran and then beyond, to the Caucasus and/or Turkey. Another one – in search of investment opportunities – runs through the Arabian Sea, the Sea of Oman, and the Persian Gulf, part of the Maritime Silk Road.
Beijing wants to develop BRI projects in both corridors: call it “peaceful modernization”
applied to sustainable development. The Chinese always remember how the Ancient Silk Roads plied Persia and parts of Arabia: in this case, we have History Repeating Itself.
A geopolitical revolution
And then comes the Holy Grail: energy. Iran is a prime gas supplier to China, a matter of national security, inextricably linked to their $400 billion-plus strategic partnership deal. And Saudi Arabia is a prime oil supplier. Closer Sino-Saudi relations and interaction in key multipolar organizations such as the SCO and BRICS+ advance the fateful day when the petroyuan will be definitely enshrined.
China and the UAE have already clinched their first gas deal in yuan
. The high-speed de-dollarization train has already left the station. ASEAN is already actively discussing how to bypass the dollar to privilege settlements in local currencies – something unthinkable even a few months ago. The US dollar has already been thrown into a death by a thousand cuts spiral.
And that will be the day when the game reaches a whole new unpredictable level.
The destructive agenda of the neocon leaders in charge of US foreign policy should never be underestimated. They exploited the 9/11 “new Pearl Harbor” pretext to launch a crusade against the lands of Islam in 2001, followed by a NATO proxy war against Russia in 2014. Their ultimate ambition is to wage war against China before 2025.
However, they are now facing a swift geopolitical and geoeconomic revolt of the World’s Heartland – from Russia and China to West Asia, and extrapolating to South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and selected latitudes in Latin America.
The turning point came on 26 February, 2022, when Washington’s neocons – in a glaring display of their shallow intellects – decided to freeze and/or steal the reserves of the only nation on the planet equipped with all the commodities that really matter, and with the necessary nous to unleash a momentous shift to a monetary system not anchored in fiat money.
That was the fateful day when the cabal, identified by journalist Seymour Hersh as responsible for blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines, actually blew the whistle for the high-speed de-dollarization train to leave the station, led by Russia, China, and now – welcome on board – Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline (Live At The Greek Theatre / 2012)
Is the housing crisis really tough on China? How is it affecting the lives of common man in China?
It’s great for the common man/woman. For the investor? Not so much.
If you’ve been following me for a while, affordability for common people is much better than in the past. People can afford to buy homes now and don’t have to borrow so much.
Other half bit the bullet and bought a home in Foshan recently. Back in 2020 she needed to borrow an fair chunk of money. 2023 she only needed to borrow 15%.
Reality
G-DRAGON – 삐딱하게(CROOKED) M/V
Korea. Big Bang.
I so happened to look over and see a Sherriff pumping his gas, so I walk over and kindly ask him if he could help since I was alone and 4 hours from home. He looked at me and kind of brushed me off as if he had better things to do.
This gentleman in the picture named Klennis overheard and saw that the cop wasn’t interested in helping me and said “come on I will help you”. Klennis knew the tire wasn’t any good anymore. I thought I had a spare in the trunk but sadly I did not. Long story but Klennis was able to retrieve a new tire at wall mart and managed to get the tire off the rim to replace it with the new tire. Klennis’s son and another young man were able to help the process along. God was truly watching over me on my delay home.
Angels come in all shapes and sizes. Klennis worked 2 continuous hours trying to get me back on the road. He told me he had a daughter who was 21 and he would want the same for her if she was in my situation. I was truly blessed to be able to get back on the road and make it home safe and sound. Klennis Anders if you guys happen to run into Klennis please tell him what a wonderful man he is! My family truly appreciates the selflessness this man offered upon me.”
By Lisa James Thompson
Lush – Kiss Chase
American grunge.
Why doesn’t France buy American fighter jets?
France deliberately refuses to buy American military equipment in a bid to maintain autonomy in terms of their foreign policy. While everyone else in NATO heavily buys American, France has made the deliberate decision to go it alone on as much as possible. As a result, France buys local for virtually all major combat systems: fighter jets, tanks, artillery, ships, submarines, etc.
Make no mistake, it would be far cheaper for France in monetary terms to buy into massive American defense programs that take advantage of economies of scale rather than to go it alone. However in doing so, it would surrender control of its foreign policy to its Anglo-American rivals. As a result, France makes the conscious decision to pay for more expensive equipment, so long as it is locally produced.
Unicorn Being A Jerk
Mystical, gentle, magical . . . as if. You’ve obviously neverseen a unicorn in his natural habitat—those guys are jerks. CartoonistC. W. Moss reveals the less-than-wonderful side of the world’s most wondrouscreature in his hilarious series of single panel comics, UnicornBeing A Jerk.
Take a gander at what these fantastical creaturesare really like, in comics like “Unicorn Being a Stalker,” “UnicornTrying to Peek at Breast-feeding Woman’s Nipple,” “Unicorn Denying theHolocaust,” and more. Readers of Moss’s online strip will love thesignificantly expanded book, which features what Moss describes as “a wholebunch of new illustrations,” in a collection perfect for fans of The Book ofBunny Suicides, Cyanide & Happiness, Penny Arcade and TheTruth about Chuck Norris.
More: Unicorn Being a Jerk, Amazon
dry voice rap （DJ完整版）
Chinese “club” scene.
A truth
PT-141: Bremelanotide Is An Amazing New Drug
I never tried bremelanotide but I've read positive reviews. I tried a similar drug called sublingual apomorphine hydrochloride (brand names Uprima, Zyprima), which is also a centrally acting drug and it worked really well.
Putin: I still think of Ukrainians as our brotherly nation. What is happening is not our fault
An expanded meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Defenсe was held in Moscow on December 21. During the meeting, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu delivered a keynote speech. President Vladimir Putin also spoke at the meeting. Below are key remarks that Shoigu and Putin made about the army, the special operation and priority tasks for 2023.
Russian President Vladimir Putin:
- Of course, the hostilities and military operations are always associated with tragedy and loss of lives. We understand this very well, we are aware of this. But since this [conflict] is inevitable, better today than tomorrow. I think that everyone present in this auditorium perfectly understands what I am talking about.
- I still consider the Ukrainian people our brotherly nation. What is happening now is a tragedy, but it does not come as a result of our policy.
- We need to study NATO’s experience and tactics in order to include that in the troops training programme and equipping the army. NATO weapons must be analyzed and used to build the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
- Russia will continue to develop the nuclear triad. This is the main guarantee of maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.
- As many as 150,000 of the 300,000 mobilised are now undergoing training at training grounds. The other half is in the zone of hostilities. This is enough for the special operation.
- The past mobilisation has revealed certain problems. To eliminate them, we need to modernise the system of military commissariats.
- The hostilities have identified issues that need to be worked on, including communication issues.
- The Ministry of Defence should be attentive to criticism. The ministry should respond to it in a timely manner.
- Everything a fighter needs must be modern and reliable.
- Officers and sergeants who have gained experience in the special operation should be assigned to new positions as a matter of priority.
- It is necessary to develop and use drones in the army — they must be everywhere.
- We need to expand the arsenal of modern attack weapons.
- Sarmat intercontinental missiles will be put on combat duty in the near future.
- The Admiral Gorshkov frigate with state-of-the-art Zirkon hypersonic missile systems will enter combat service in early 2023.
- We need to saturate the troops with everything necessary — from modern first-aid kits to sights. Everything is important on the battlefield.
- There are no restrictions to finance the Russian Armed Forces. The country gives the army everything they ask for.
- We’ve got everything.
- We look forward to constructive and meaningful negotiations with a visible end result that would ensure equal security for all, within a certain timeframe.
- We will not engage in the militarization of the country and economy.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu:
- A priority goal for 2023 is to continue the special operation until its full completion.
- Russia is always open to constructive peace talks.
- Partial mobilisation was carried out to stabilise the situation, protect new territories and carry out further offensive operations.
- 300,000 people were called up for partial mobilisation, 830,000 people working at defence industry enterprises and other socially significant areas were exempt from the draft.
- More than 20,000 people volunteered for the troops.
- During the special operation, more than 100,000 people received state awards, 120 of them were awarded the title of Hero of Russia.
- More than 250,000 servicemen gained combat experience during the special operation.
- When recruiting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, we need to gradually raise the conscription age of citizens from 18 to 21 years, and the upper conscription age — to 30 years.
- It is necessary to increase the strength of Russian Armed Forces to 1.5 million people, including 670,000 contract soldiers.
- It is necessary to accept Borey-A project nuclear cruiser Emperor Alexander III, as well as 4 submarines and 12 surface ships into the fleet.
- To strengthen the troops participating in the special operation, the supplies of most popular types of weapons have been rescheduled from 2024-2025 to 2023.
- The Russian Army strikes military command and control system, military-industrial complex enterprises, and related facilities in Ukraine, destroying arms supplies chains.
- During special exercises, the Russian nuclear forces successfully practiced the delivery of a massive strike in response to the use of weapons of mass destruction by the enemy.
Are durians as smelly as I’ve heard?
Ah durians! I’d heard about them for years. I’ve seen them frozen at my local Chinese grocery but I’d never tried them until recently. While in Southeast Asia I had durian in Malaysia and Singapore.
Do durians smell bad? No. I say that very honestly, and I have a weak stomach when it comes to smells. Seriously. You can be bleeding to death and I will snap into action without the sight of blood bothering me. But if I clean out the fridge and something was forgotten at the back of it? I’ll throw the plastic storage container away because if I try to clean it I will be sick on my stomach and have another mess to clean. Nope. Containers are cheap at the Dollar Store. Mopping my kitchen floor extra is not worth it. Anyway, I digress…
Durian is, however, pungent, aromatic, and musky. The taste though, is delicious! Don’t just take my word for it:
Durian is so creamy and melts in your mouth. It’s very sweet. I will say, the two I had were a bit bitter in aftertaste but I think there are some types of durian that are just sweet. It’s rich in vitamins and nutrients.
I’ll tell you a humorous story. When I was in Singapore I struggled with public transport. My town is so small that we don’t have it. I’m used to driving everywhere. The MRT and bus routes were overwhelming. (I honestly think when I return I need some sort of map that outlines where everything is and what lines run where.) I felt very lost. So when I didn’t ride with friends or have someone helping me figure out the bus routes I took taxis.
One night I was out with a friend and it was getting late. She helped me find a taxi stop where I could wait. I queued with everyone and finally it was my turn. I quickly enter the cab and immediately I knew there was durian nearby. Before I can even fasten my seatbelt the driver starts apologizing.
“What’s wrong? Why are you sorry?” I asked.
“My last passengers had durian and now it smells ah!” He said.
“Oh is that all? Don’t worry about it. No big deal. It’s just durian.” I said.
“You don’t mind? Usually if I have passengers who aren’t local they would complain.” He said.
“No! I don’t mind the smell. The durian I’ve eaten here was very good. I have no reason to complain. I just appreciate you taking me home late.” I assured him.
“Are you from England or Australia? You have a different accent.” He asked.
I laughed heartily. “Oh my goodness. Wait until I tell people back home that someone thought I sounded sophisticated enough to be from England or Australia! They’ll never believe it! No, I’m from the United States. And yes my accent is definitely there. The Southern US has a distinct one.”
We chatted about our countries politics after that. He taught me some of LKY’s quotes. Finally we arrived and he came around to open my door and said, “I’m sorry. You’ll go inside smelling like durian.”
“Don’t worry. If anyone asks I’ll just say it’s a new perfume!”
If you’re ever in Southeast Asia and have the opportunity you must at least try it. It isn’t fair to dislike something unless you try it first! And if you approach the experience with a positive attitude I really think you’ll like it!
Ozean – Scenic – THE BEST DREAMPOP SONG YOU’VE NEVER HEARD (but the lyrics are AI generated images)
Why is there a labor shortage in the United States? Please no comments like “because of lazy people.”
Because of cheap employers.
Plus some other stuff I’ll get to in the end.
As I write this, the US unemployment rate is holding at 3.6%. That’s around a 50-year low. And it suggests there aren’t a lot of jobless people left.
But remember that figure is a percentage of the people looking for work. If only there was some way to coax some of those people back into the labor force…
Oh. Right. The minimum wage has been $7.25/hour since 2009. Just to keep up with inflation, employers should be paying $10.33. Throw in the risks of spending your day inches away from unmasked customers in the age of COVID, and minimum-wage fast food, retail and hospitality jobs are looking like a really bad deal.
So make the deal better.
As many McDonald’s have done. But you can see the problem there at the bottom of the sign: full time.
Full time gets you 2x the minimum wage, and, presumably, healthcare. So tight-fisted employers like Walmart have lots of jobs that require 30 or so hours a week that offer no consistency of hours, no benefits, crap pay, and few prospects for promotion.
And they’re surprised they’ve got jobs they can’t fill.
For the last few decades, the rich have been getting richer and everyone else has been getting… the same as always. COVID changed that. It gave workers, even those not in a union, more bargaining power than they’ve had since I was in short pants. Employers either sweeten the offer, or man the burger grills themselves.
The smartest thing Congress could do — but won’t — is raise the minimum wage. That would lift the playing field for EVERYONE, and give working class people the financial breathing room needed to start spending again.
The usual counterargument is that it would put some mom-and-pop businesses out of business. Which is possibly true. But if the ONLY way you can break even is by paying your employees 2009 wages, you arguably shouldn’t be in business in the first place.
Moreover, if you put more money into the pockets of the wealthy, they send it to Switzerland or Panama. Give more to working class Americans and they’ll spend it, often in the community, thus helping to build the economy.
All we lack is the political will.
And immigrants. (Told you I’d come back to this.)
The GOP is still singing the ancient ditty about foreigners coming over here and taking our jobs. What they refuse to recognize is that right now, we’ve got a lot of jobs that need taking. That’s particularly true in agriculture, fast-food, and other service industries.
Even I am not silly enough or drunk enough that we can sort out a sensible immigration policy in the next month or so. But guest worker programs, for targeted industries, with both an expiration date AND a path to an extended stay for people who meet certain conditions could relieve most of the pressure in a matter of weeks.
Unfortunately the culture wars tend to prevent us from making a sensible and rewarding peace.
How can Putin believe he is winning the war with all that is going on in the Ukraine. Is he totally delusionsal?
He is not delusional, you are? To the world 41 of the worlds richest nation collective throw their kitchen sink at Russia for 14 months straight.
The result is these 41 nations has the highest inflation for 40 years, their banks are going bankrupt, their fuel cost went up 3–4 times before the war, their economy imploded and minus GDP! And their population is dumping them and 60% of Ukrainians are squatters in their country and Ukraine has lost almost all Black Sea Coast. And 4 regions has become part of Russia.
Meanwhile Russia U.S. doing very well, it’s Ruble appreciate, it’s economy is just as good. And cleverly it move from spending on the stagnations west to a dynamic east. To the world the only delusional people are the leaders of these 41 nations! And you are part ofthe delusional brigade.
Artist Places Iconic Horror Characters Into Classic Disney’s Mickey Mouse Cartoons
Whatever your age is, we all loved Disney growing up and feel pretty nostalgic about it, but when you look back at the cartoons from the past, there is something oddly creepy about them.
More: Mike Chiechi, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter h/t: boredpanda
Guam
LIKE MANY of America’s bases in the Pacific, Guam mixes hedonism with war jitters. Japanese and South Korean visitors revel on the sand of Tumon Bay, a coral-reef lagoon. Above, F-15 fighters and B-1 bombers bank to land at Andersen Air Force Base nearby. Below, nuclear attack submarines slip in and out of Apra Harbour. The marines are building a base up the road. Around lie reminders of the Pacific war between America and Japan. The last Japanese soldier surrendered in 1972.
“Where America’s day begins”, as Guam likes to sell itself (incorrectly), is also where a future American war with China may begin. This westernmost speck of America, just 30 miles (48km) long and with a population of about 170,000, helps it project power across the vast Pacific. As tension over Taiwan worsens, war games often predict early and sustained Chinese missile strikes on Guam, and perhaps the use of nuclear weapons against it.
Startlingly, for such a vital military complex, Guam is only thinly defended. Its THAAD missile-defence battery is not always switched on. It is in any case intended to parry only a limited attack from North Korea, not an onslaught from China. Andersen has no Patriot ground-to-air missiles, though they are deployed at American bases in South Korea and Japan. Warships with Aegis air-defence systems offer extra protection, but they may not always be nearby. To judge from the ubiquitous metal traps on fences around Guam’s bases, commanders seem more worried about the brown tree snake, an invasive species, than a surprise Chinese strike.
China makes no secret that Guam is in its cross-hairs. The DF-26 missile, with a range of 4,000km, is commonly called the “Guam killer”. In 2020 a Chinese propaganda video depicted an H-6K bomber attacking an undisclosed air base: the satellite image was unmistakably of Andersen. To survive within China’s “weapons engagement zone”, the American air force is developing “agile combat employment”.
This involves scattering aircraft to deny China an easy shot, and networking them with distant “sensors” and “shooters” to give battle. It practised such tactics at the Cope North exercise with Japan and Australia on Guam and nearby islands in February. At the end of each day, though, the jets were all parked together in neat rows in the open. The base has no hardened shelters for aircraft, and its fuel is stored in closely packed tanks above ground.
“We are playing catch-up,” admits Vice-Admiral Jon Hill, director of the MDA. He says the first step will be to put the ship-based Aegis system on land. Unlike “Aegis ashore” systems in Poland and Romania, the version on Guam will have better radars, and many components will be “distributed”: movable on wheels to improve their chances of surviving attack. There will be several radars to give all-round coverage. Together with THAAD, this will provide more robust protection against ballistic missiles.
Cruise missiles may prove a bigger menace because of their greater numbers, and ability to fly low and turn. These would be taken on mainly by a combination of army systems: Patriot; its new and more powerful radar, LTAMDS; and a shorter-range system called IFPC. The first elements should be in place by 2024. Future kit will be integrated as it becomes available. It may eventually include weapons to take out hypersonic missiles, which are hard to hit because they fly fast and maneuver, and “directed energy” systems (using lasers and microwaves)
All this raises questions. One is the timetable: several of the components are not yet in production, and much of the money is still going on research and development. Another is whether disparate systems from the MDA, navy and army can be fully integrated so that commanders can fight off many kinds of missiles from many directions. A third is whether a polarised Congress will pass a budget on time. And last, many of Guam’s people may well ask: will ever more military hardware on Guam endanger us, or scare away the tourists?
Jake Owen Apple Pie Moonshine
American country-western. One of my favorite songs to sing at a KTV.
Nuclear magnetic resonance MRI is known as the lighthouse in the field of high-end medical equipment because it helps doctors and patients to establish the cause of disease as early as possible and seize the golden time for treatment as a mirror for diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases tumors Etc.
Nuclear magnetic resonance instruments have been occupied by Western countries for a long time by virtue of their technological advantages forcing China to spend huge sums of money to introduce them which not only brings additional burdens to economic investment but also costs an average of 1000 Yuan per session it also makes many patients sigh.
The good news came recently with the Advent of the domestic (China’s own) 3.0 T nuclear magnetic resonance instrument. This technical barrier that has been monopolized by Western countries for nearly 40 years has finally been broken through.
Western countries do export nuclear magnetic resonance instruments at high prices. It is understood that the cost of an imported nuclear magnetic resonance instrument is as high as 35 million US dollars.
R&D of superconducting magnets, the core component requires the support of Decades of scientific research reserves of a big country. The related technologies have been monopolized by the US and Germany for a long time and they are sold worldwide. India too imports them.
China’s domestic 3.0 T nuclear magnetic resonance instrument came out breaking the 40-year Monopoly of the West. China has only been researching nuclear magnetic resonance instruments for less than 20 years compared with the United States which completed its first experiment in the 1930s the Gap Can Be Imagined but difficulties have never frightened the Chinese people.
Several top scientific research institutions led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences worked together and with the cooperation of more than 200 manufacturers and tens of thousands of employees they finally developed the first domestically produced 3.0 t-strong magnetic field resonance instrument it is reported that the core components of this instrument are all independently developed and it holds 124 invention patents.
Greek Chicken and Rice (Kotta Pilafi)
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts (about 3 pounds)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 medium onion chopped fine
- 1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- Dairy sour cream for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté chicken breasts in butter until golden brown. Add onion, tomato, water, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add rice and stir to mix evenly. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes longer or until the rice is tender. Add more water if necessary.
- Serve with a bowl of sour cream to be spooned over the rice.
Serves 6.
Additions called in from Bessie: Use one whole broiler (3 pounds) cut up into pieces. Sauté in 1/4 cup olive oil (not butter). Use 3 cups boiling water with the rice instead of 2 cups (you won’t have to add water later this way).
The US HATES the Peace Breaking Out In The Middle East
Gonzalo Lira.
Is it true that companies fire old programmers (around 35ish) to hire young programmers who recently came out of college just because they could pay the young ones a lower salary?
No.
Older, experienced programmers are much cheaper than new graduates.
I’m quite serious about this.
New college graduates get themselves excited arguing about which IDE they think is best. They advocate for whichever language they were shown at university and how they think that’s the only game in town. They will have strong opinions about how you should write your own stuff and not use libraries.
Older programmers show up, write code that works and solves the business problem they’ve been asked to work on, then they go home.
Per unit of useful work produced, older developers are much, much cheaper than new college graduates. Even if their salaries are a lot higher.
I keep running into Americans who think Russia and China are more belligerent than the United States. By far, the United States has been the most belligerent country in the 21st century. Figure 1 shows the number of people displaced by America’s so-called “war on terror” in the 21st century.
Figure 1. People displaced by the US by the “war on terror” in the 21st century (source: Infographic: America’s War On Terror Displaced 37 Million People
).
According to the Watson institute, the US and its allies (mostly Britain) have killed almost 1 million people in the 21st century:
In racking up refugee and death tolls, the United States stands alone at the top.
If not for the shitty US media, Americans would know their country is the most belligerent.
KitJah feat. MOSKILA – Kyndykan (Prod. by Vadim Borisov)
Kyndykan is a striking story of a little girl who, 200 years ago, was the only survivor in the camp, completely extinct from the smallpox epidemic.
Biden on numerous occasions expressed interest to talk to Mr Xi, do you think Biden has a chance to talk to Mr Xi given China & Mr Xi are busy meeting visiting country leaders? Do you think Biden should make good his previously promises first?
It’s simple
Xi won’t talk to Biden because he knows the talks are fruitless
Biden and over three fourth of US are still living in the 1990s -Early 2000s
Their foreign policy is still that under Bush Senior or Clinton or Bush Junior
They believe they can intimidate and threaten and convince people by using a combination of vague promises and using the word “Freedom” fifty times in a sentence
Nobody believes it anymore
This is a Nation which in the last two years had a mob of people storm their Government Headquarters and threaten to hang their Vice President
This is a Nation that has seen 26 Regional and State based Riots and 2 National Riots over the last 3 years
This is a Nation which has seen 102 Young Students being killed by Shooters in a mere 3 years period across 11 States
This is a Nation that literally destroyed any chance of their allies and citizens having a peaceful prosperous life by ensuring their energy costs rose by 312% in the last 14 months
A Nation sinking to decadence fast and a Nation chock full of EVIL and DESTRUCTIVE IDEOLOGY
Xi knows Biden is a Senile Puppet of the Neocons who believe in that destructive Ideology
He knows talks are pointless with US Politicians now
INSTEAD
He keeps the talks with Businessmen all the time like Tim Cook of Apple or the CEO of Qualcomm or the Big Bosses of Intel
He ensures that US Consumers and Businessness remain economically friendly to China and they HATE THE US even more than some Middle Easterners
Trump was a businessman
Xi and China liked him
He always was ready to deal.
Biden is a puppet of some very evil people ready to kill their citizens for world dominance
Xi has no time or inclination to listen to these people except when they are on their death beds
譚艷 – 光明 (DJ抖音女聲Remix版2022) Guang Ming【Cahaya Harapan / Light】- Lirik Pinyin Terjemahan Indonesia
Indonesian song, sung in Chinese, very popular in China.
Are people aware of the China-US economic imbalance, and how did Trump deal with it?
A Couch made of Wood with Cushions in Akron Ohio costs $ 495 after Discount
The Same Couch made in China with Cushions from China costs $ 215 without Tariffs and $ 278 with Tariffs and gives a profit of between 20–38% to the Retailer.
So the Customer gets his couch at a price at half the cost and the Retailer makes more profits.
This is the Story of the United States since 1985. Labor is too expensive, Transportation is too expensive, Work Force is too demanding – hence all these costs mean that Products are also terribly expensive.
Tyres, Refurbished Materials, Furniture, Paper, Reamwoods, Saunas, Vehicle Components, Shoes, Jeans, Clothes, Underwear, Caps and over 17000 other products and their owners relocated their factories to China and ensured that they could survive happily and even become richer.
China welcomed this relocation from 1998 to 2013 for 15 years – and then stopped. Instead their own Chinese Companies competed with these relocated american businesses and delivered even cheaper imports – They could offer this couch at $ 225 with Tariffs and $ 187 without Tariffs and suddenly the public and consumers got even cheaper goods.
From 2013 onwards – those businesses that Relocated to China sold their businesses off and got a lot of money and settled down happily but businesses that did not have since gone bankrupt because they simply cannot match the price of the imports.
And this has extended to Steel, Cement, Small Tech, Medium Tech,Laptops, Smart Phones, Smart Phone Components – where US Companies which relocated to China dominated the market from 2004–2017 but since then Huawei and other Chinese entities began to compete and push their products into the US.
The Fear is – What started with Furniture and Caps and went on to Smart Phones could one day reach to High Technology like Chips, Robots, Space components and Defense Related Products and that could be catastrophic to the US.
Everytime US Companies first relocated – had a good run – then Chinese entities began to compete and slowly the US companies that had relocated merged or sold to the Chinese Entities.
So the Imbalance widened and widened and widened – Lower Costs dominating the day and WTO rules followed by Obama and Bush
Trump like our Modiji had the right idea but ridiculous implementation
He chose to bully chinese to import US Products and chose to raise Tariffs.
This was Stupid.
IN the long run – the make america products would have cost 2.5 times more than any Chinese import and many families that could afford decent products and Flat Screens would have to give them up.
Simple example – A US Made Nike would have to cost $ 559 and would make barely 4% Profit compared to $ 219 for a China imported Nike even with Tariff and a 41% Margin of Profit.
The only way was to Keep increasing the Technological Divide and ensure High Tech companies manufacture only in the US
Instead he began insane bullying – and creating Farm related problems when China refused to import the required quantities and Chinese Farm Equipment and other equipment became more restricted.
How should Biden deal with it?
Like Obama or Bush did. Keep Defense Local. Keep Advanced R & D Local. Keep High Tech Development, streets ahead of China and ensure that these Industries hired Americans only and they generated sufficient income to establish service industries to employ the others.
.