Back to back, yesterday, I was walking down the stairs from the third floor to the elevator lobby, and as I rounded a corner, I saw a dead kitten. Somehow, it had crawled into the lobby and made it to the side hallway where it died. I tried to help it, as rigor mortis had not yet set in.

But it was dead.

I don’ know what killed it, or it’s background story.

But there was nothing I could do.

I arrived on the scene too late.

…

The day afterwards, I was driving from Zhuhai to Tanzhou and going though this super amazing mega-highway cross intersection. This intersection is a mix of 6, 26 lane roads, that weave in and out with overpasses and under passed reaching 4-quad intersections.

As I was speed up on the upper tier to the banding 8 line road I saw a kitten doing “the dance of death” in the middle of the massive traffic. There was nothing I could do.

No pull overs.

Traffic was flying. Poor visibility.

That kitten was fucked.

I feel so bad. But there was nothing I could do.

…

Stopping there was life threatening. And even if I somehow pulled over off the intersection, it would take me 15 minutes of walking on a super dangerous highway to get to it.

Somethings are beyond our control, and we must endure the feeling of utter helplessness as we watch the sad events transpire.

If you can help others, please do so. Just remember, some things are beyond our abilities.

Peace.

Interesting dialog from Frans

Huge Lost Maya City Has Emerged From the Jungle in Mexico

Mexican archaeologists harnessed the potential of LiDAR drones to undertake an extensive survey of the Yucatan Peninsula, yielding the remarkable discovery of a once-forgotten city. This extraordinary find includes pyramids, a ball court and sacred spaces distinguished by the presence of meticulously crafted stone columns.

Mexico’s National Institute for Anthropology and History ( INAH) has just announced that a team of archaeologists have identified a jungle-locked, ancient Maya city. Discovered deep in southern Mexico, the previously unknown city comprises large pyramids, stone columns, three plazas with “imposing buildings” and other sacred stone structures arranged in concentric circles.

INAH said the city is located in the state of Campeche, in the Balamku Ecological Reserve on the country’s Yucatan Peninsula . Archaeologists have named this lost Maya city in Mexico Ocomtun, which in the Yucatec Maya language means “stone column.” Speculatively, INAH said the city would have been an important Maya center for the entirety of the peninsula’s central lowland region, between 250 and 1000 AD.

High Living at Lost Maya City in Mexico

Reuters reported that lead archaeologist Ivan Sprajc said the lost Maya city was discovered during a March LiDAR exploration of a largely uncharted stretch of jungle in the Balamku Ecological Reserve, in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula . Boasting breathtaking biodiversity, this region preserves delicate ecosystems, including rich forests, deep cenotes and expansive wetlands.

Sprajc described the search zone as being “larger than Luxembourg,” so that’s about 2,586 square kilometers (998.67 square miles), or over 400,000 hectares. The Ocomtun site, like most other Maya settlements, is located on high ground overlooking extensive wetlands.

A Fully Functional, and Ritualized, Maya City

Ocomtun was once equipped with 15-meter (49.21 ft) high pyramidal structures and a ball court , for the playing of Pre-Hispanic ball games. Combining elements of sport, ritual and religious significance, this sport was played by ancient civilizations such as the Maya and Aztecs.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=wtX9IR_pIEc

Players used only their hips to propel a rubber ball through stone hoops, representing cosmic battles and fertility rites. So culturally important was this game that it was central in mythology and served as a way of offering the gods human sacrifices.

A series of central altars were discovered closer to the La Rigueña river, which INAH said “may have been designed for community rituals.” In a report by BBC, Ivan Sprajc explained that the cylindrical stone columns, which prompted the researchers to name the site Ocomtún, “were probably entrances to rooms in the upper parts of the buildings.” According to Sprajc, the city appears to have been significantly rebuilt between 800 and 1000 AD.

A City on the Edge of Life Itself

The La Rigueña River flows through the scenic landscapes of the area. Stretching across approximately 110 kilometers (68.35 miles), the river winds its way through lush forests, agricultural fields and picturesque towns. In Maya times, the river held significant cultural and practical importance, for it provided a vital source of freshwater for Maya communities, supporting agriculture, fishing and transportation.

An engraved stone discovered within the Balamku Ecological Reserve at the site of the lost Maya city in Mexico which archaeologists have named Ocomtún. (Ivan Ṡprajc / INAH)

No less important were the river’s banks, which witnessed bustling trade routes, with people using canoes to navigate its waters and exchange goods. In every way, this river was a lifeline connecting surrounding communities with the main city and sustaining their daily lives. Evidence suggests the lost Maya city entered a period of decline around 800 to 1000 AD, at which time the Lowland Maya civilization collapsed.

The collapse of the Lowland Maya civilization in the 10th century is a subject of debate, and archaeologists point to different factors, such as environmental degradation, political unrest, warfare and the decline of trade networks. It is most probable that all of these factors contributed to the collapse of the recently discovered Maya city in Mexico, but perhaps future excavations at Ocomtún will help answer this historical mystery.

Decision making centers will be destroyed. Russia warns US & UK

I’ve Always Said There Will NOT Be War Over Taiwan…Let’s Analyze It Point by Point

After the Blinken Visit To China, This is More Certain. 15 Points on Why

Mario Cavolo

Jun 20, 2023

ASSERTION: Despite some legitimate concerns on a war / military escalation happening over Taiwan expressed by many other respectable, reasonable China watchers including some really big potatoes 大土豆 while I myself am certainly just a small potato 小土豆, I have stayed firm these years on my view there will NOT be a war over Taiwan.

Now I am more certain than ever. If you would like to listen to my audio reading of this article click here: (will be posted within a day or two)

If you do an honest thorough read of the situation, the US would have to be absolutely bananas to push China into war over Taiwan.

If anything, the path and timeline is accelerating toward some type of peaceful deal / rearrangement / reunification / some thing like a Hong Kong thing / call it, name it, label it whatever you want.

Well, now we certainly need to dig in on my core reasoning as to why this has been and more than ever, remains my position on the matter.

1. The profile and circumstances surrounding China are significantly unlike any other country the US has been involved in some form of war or military action with. Namely that…its not just at all like one of those other tiny countries, not to mention China’s economic capabilities and resources are now massively integrated into the entire world economy via multiple channels. So on this point alone, this is already a big fat no go…

2. The massive and still expanding scale of China’s economic and structural integration into the entire world system already far SURPASSES that of the United States on a very long list of metrics. That is not an opinion, it’s just an observation of easily observable evidence and statistics tracked by numerous parties.

3. On top of that, China’s position, it’s roots, it’s expansion, it’s bilateral country relations, its position in RCEP, ASEAN & BRICS, plus the BRI, all tell us that this trend will continue, it is an expansion with no end in sight for decades. Yes, the US leaders surely see this. Yes, the war loving neocons see it. Yes, they are freaking out. Yes, it is understandable. We all see what is happening in real time in the real world. The US own societal deteriorations back home are also quite serious, making the situation even more difficult. So I do recognize the “don’t underestimate the warmongering crazy neocons” argument. I suppose we could argue this point by saying “Yes, they are insane, but they are not THAT insane that they would blow up the world, cause a massive amount of damage to billions of lives if they were to pursue and execute their war agenda with China as a means of ultimately maintaining US hegemony at all costs. Yes, if they did so, then the US would indeed remain the #1 imperial hegemon, but of a wrecked, destroyed world. So again, are they really THAT insane? Is someone in the United States govenment administration THAT insane to actually pull THAT trigger? Let’s just say no and move on to the next point.

4. Taiwan Ukraine comparisons fall way short, to the point of being silly. The overall geopolitical and economic circumstances and inter-relationships of each are like night & day. The public details and descriptions of those circumstances are being highly distorted and manipulated. For example…

5. Xi is not Putin. Even decades before Xi, China’s govt hasn’t attacked, bombed or started war with any other country anywhere since the Sino Vietnam altercation in 1979 which lasted just over a month and resulted in around 30,000 casualties. Xi and the CPC is overall, a deeply war-averse govt and have been for decades. They have no lust or tolerance for blood. This is obvious. And again, you are being fed a propaganda narrative of lies which tells you the opposite, that China is “preparing to invade Taiwan” Honestly, this is at best, laughable. Its that far off the mark. China will only ever RESPOND to a threat or forced attempt at Taiwan independence. The ONLY true way Taiwan could accomplish true independence would be via a referendum vote and why wouldn’t that vote include the citizens of the mainland? Likewise, I love living here in the northeast of China, Liaoning province and would like to declare myself the governor and arrange a vote for the independence of Liaoning province. What right do I have to do that? None. I’m a small potato, remember? 🙂 Its not complicated.

6. Likewise, despite any and every China watcher telling you otherwise, China’s military buildup is defensive in the face of rising threat to its sovereign territory & rights with regard to Taiwan. And whatever you might have to say about China’s supposed unreasonable buildup and encroachment in the South China Sea, around the Philippines, etc…whether you might be 20% or 90% correct about those points, they are really not relevant to what we’re discussing in this piece, which is about war over Taiwan.

7. If and as needed Beijing will continue to increase it’s blocking, surrounding, protecting & isolating of it’s territory, Taiwan in response to any continuation of provocation supporting anything that remotely resembles independence. This is so obvious.

8. Let me point you specifically to what happened re the Pelosi visit…that was a pivotal moment, too. Afterwards, China’s response was to summarily cut off pretty much every communication channel of diplomacy that had been in place – military, trade, climate change, cultural exchange, science, tech….China shut it all down and I wasn’t in the least bit surprised. Because….

9. In fact, the US, especially the unforgivable Pelosi visit with her standing on Taiwan soil and publicly referring to Taiwan as a country, has actually served to accelerate the timeline of and increase the likelihood of a peaceful unification deal to finally be done in some structural form. Because friends, ultimately it will get done and it won’t interfere with the lives of Taiwanese people any more that it has interfered with the lives of the Hong Kong people. It hasn’t, but that’s not what the propagandists keep spewing. By the way, I highly recommend James Bradley’s The China Mirage, a superb read on this long, historical tale all the way back to the early 1900s.

10. The Taiwanese people are scared and they should be. That’s a good thing. Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine….hello? Their eyes are finally wide open to the reality they could really and truly become nothing more than the next dead proxy cannon fodder in the name of the basket of things known as “U.S. interests”. Now, I must be fair, there IS some genuine benefit to the US military around the world keeping other bad guys under control. Its just that as most of us observe, their military overreach, sanctioning, covert regime change operations, etc. are a serious problem for the world. We all know the stories, we all know who the big anti-empire anti-war experts & voices are and I’m not getting into it any further here.

11. A lunatic politician publicly seriously talked about blowing up TSMC in the event of reunification to keep it out of Chinese hands, which in my view, the guy did us all a favor saying this. It served as the final wake-up call to Taiwanese people and it’s leaders that US neocons are truly batshit crazy. This was the last straw and even Taiwan govt leadership have commented on these developments. It was US Congressman Seth Moulton during a conference hosted by thinktank The Milken Institute, who said, “The US should make it very clear to the Chinese that if you invade Taiwan, we’re going to blow up TSMC,” The statement made by US Congressman Seth Moulton was promptly challenged by Michele Flournoy, a defense policy advisor, and former government official who reminded us all that such an act would bring manufacturing to a halt and create two trillion dollars worth of economic devastation. Smart lady.

12. Reminder that as I explain in further details here immediately after the Pelosi visit to Taiwan, the actual relationship between the mainland and Taiwan is long, deep, friendly & fruitful. Well over 40% of Taiwan exports go where?…the mainland. Well over a million Taiwanese live on the mainland. The western media never want you to to know this good stuff because its the good stuff in the real world.

13. The DPP separatists are increasingly being viewed as a literal serious threat to the survival of the Taiwanese people and their peaceful society who have no interest in becoming the next dead Ukrainians. It is only the DPP party separatists who seem to be of like-mind when it comes to ignoring their Taiwanese citizens will become cannon fodder.

    I’m dropping in some quotes here…

    Robert Daly, director of the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China and the U.S., “There’s a joint decision, a joint realization that we mustn’t go to war…”

    Secretary Blinken, “We do not support Taiwan independence. We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side. We continue to expect the peaceful resolution of cross-strait differences,”

    Wang Yi “safeguarding national unity will always be the core of China’s core interests.” …the U.S. must “respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and clearly oppose ‘Taiwan independence.’”

    President Xi “Competition among major powers does not conform to the trend of the times, let alone solve America’s own problems and the challenges facing the world.”

14. Finally, as a “geopolitical watcher” for the past several years since around 2016, I took a mental break, took a few steps back over the past six months and in doing so, I noticed what is truly unfortunate about the public discourse happening in both mainstream media and social media platforms. MOST of the divisive narratives are being intentionally laid out in a stream of consciousness propaganda campaign to brainwash the citizenry against China and is detached from the actual reality. If you follow the news about other topics, its not any better,, its just one giant gaslighting nightmare; if you follow the stock market news and invest accordingly, you are already way behind. If you follow the mainstream news about Ukraine, about the left, the right, about Republicans, Democrats, Putin, healthcare, blacks, Asian hate, name the hot topic in the news cycle, you are being mislead, misinformed, you are being thoroughly propagandized and its alot of work to sift through this mountain of endlessly spewed misinformation to deliver narratives regardless of the actual truth of what’s going on.

    And when it comes to all things China, you are being propagandized as egregiously as can possibly be. We are living in one gargantuan, sick, twisted psyops propaganda campaign orchestrated in harmony by the governments, their intelligence agencies and mainstream media outlets. Its really a sick, twisted disturbing thing to realize is really and truly happening. By taking a step back in my perspective over the past few months, I saw it crystal clear. And in doing so, it only confirmed what I am telling you. You are being fed all this war / Taiwan crap and its mostly just crap from people who have their own biased agendas, who have no good intentions and who are not even experts we should be listening to.

15. Post China visit, Sec Blinken’s words clearly indicated that a mutually stable situation is the top priority, that the United States is absolutely in line with the existing 50 years long agreement on Taiwan, and on the matter of what he did NOT say, he also did not make a peep about anything specific what US “concerns” were such as supposed human rights abuses, Uyghurs, Hong Kong, blah blah. He deftly intentionally avoided it all, message well received by the Chinese side and way way overdue. Of course we know the question is whether there will be any actions which will once again speak louder than the words and keep the conflict going.

    My words to all of you right now are to back off on the old standard criticisms of the US. Via this Blinken visit, they MADE a pivot. They did. So now, like a good bottle of red wine, the cork is out, let’s back off, give it some air, give it some space, let it breath for awhile. This is the direction we want and need, toward a world in peace, not conflict that can do a much better job at cooperating together. And yes, the US is the world’s current top superpower so the direction they choose on this foreign policy and all related matters is paramount.
    
    That’s about it friends. You now have my sense of the who, how, what and why of the situation with respect to the China narratives and Taiwan. I hope you have found it helpful in your understanding and wish you a great day.

    Best, Mario

The most corrupt US administration ever

What is India doing to counter China’s String of Pearls strategy?

India doesn’t have anything to offer yet to anybody

Not even a tenth of what China does

That’s the truth

Modi may visit 10,000 countries and he may hug 5000 leaders and he may be called the greatest friend by 1000 of them but that means SQUAT

India had to pay Russia in Dirhams after Russia refused to accept a block of ₹ 3.34 Trillion for assorted payments of Oil

Russia is an oldest friend

Sri Lankans don’t accept INR on their forex counters because they have no use for the Indian Rupee

Bangladeshis too

Indias reality is sadly never seen by the majority of the ostriches who keep believing what they read is gospel

---

China didn’t build their String of Pearls with platitudes or hugs or speeches or bogus newspaper articles

They built their String of Pearls with Money, Trade, Railways, Schools and Credit

India cannot counter any such strategy because we have nothing to offer whatsoever to compensate for what China offers

No Military Technology, No Credit worth its name, No Special Trade, No massive investments

Nothing

---

Indias only possible counter is to shake hands with China or to move entirely into the Western Camp and buy a decade or so of protection

India needs a revolution and maybe 3 more decades before they can offer anything more than Beef or Two Wheelers.

Another China Collapse Theory Collapses

You-tube forbids this following video from being embedded. So therefore, it is significant and worthy of watching.

https://youtu.be/n2gLkLXiqbo

U.S. Senators Introduce Resolution: NATO Article 5 Invokes If Tactical Nuke — OR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT – In Ukraine, emits radiation

World Hal Turner 23 June 2023

United States Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have introduced a Resolution in the Senate which states that if Russia, or one of its Proxies like Belarus, detonates a Tactical nuclear bomb inside Ukraine, or if something happens to the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant causing radiation leakage, that would be “an attack upon NATO” triggering war.

Graham pointed to remarks by illegitimate President Joe Biden which said “Russia’s threat to use nuclear weapons is real” as the reason for their resolution.  They claim that the ongoing “counter-offensive” by Ukraine is going slowly, but making progress – which is false.  Ukraine has made no progress and won’t.  They say that Russia may decide to use a tactical nuke to stop the counter-offensive and if they do, their army would be eviscerated by NATO.  Here’s the brief video announcing the Resolution:

So yet again, members of the political class are using you and me as cannon fodder for their grandiose meddling in the affairs of other countries; threatening to send __US__ to war for a country which is neither an ally nor a Treaty Partner, simply because the political class won’t mind its own business.

You won’t Believe what Happened after Blinken’s China Visit.

REPORTS OF POSSIBLE COUP D’ETAT IN RUSSIA — RUSSIA ENGAGES “FORTRESS” PLAN; Expecting External Attack

World Hal Turner 23 June 2023

This is BREAKING NEWS as of 4:52 PM eastern US time on Friday, June 23, 2023 — There are numerous reports of a military Coup d’ Etat taking place inside Russia.   

Plan “FORTRESS” to protect vital facilities, jam cellphones, and restrict normal civilian life has been enacted in Southern Russia and in Moscow.  RUMORS OF CIVIL WAR EVERYWHERE!

The fortress plan implies an emergency gathering of police personnel and provides readiness to repel an external attack.

New Army recruits, without much training, are being armed and sent to southern Russia.

Social media is lighting-up with postings calling for military brass to be ousted (and worse) as shown below:

Apparently, the leader of PMC Wagner, Progozhin, posted a public message on social media claiming the Russian Army deliberately fired missiles at camps of the Wagner PMC soldiers, killing several and injuring many.  

RUMORS are running wild that Prigozhin is bringing 25,000 of his Wagner troops to Moscow to take out the military leadership of Russia.

NONE OF THIS IS VERIFIABLE at this time.

Whatever is taking place is happening very fast.   Updates as I get the info.

UPDATE 5:29 PM EDT —

Reports now surfacing that Russian inter-governmental secure communications systems “ATS-1” and “ATS-2” have been taken offline and are no longer functioing.

• ATS-1 (“Kremlin”) telephone communications for senior leaders in the offices of heads of Russian Federation ministries and department (first deputy ministers upward), and also some other organs of authority.
• ATS-2 (“Hotline”) is similar, and is used by deputy ministers, heads of departments and main administrations in important ministries and departments, and a number of other officials at similar levels of responsibility.

 MORE:

Russian spetsnaz is raiding the Wagner Center in downtown Saint Petersburg right now. Local time is almost midnight.

STILL MORE:

Roadblocks are being set up around Rublyovka outside Moscow. Many Kremlin regime leaders live there.

UPDATE 5:35 PM EDT —

SHOOTING REPORTED IN MOSCOW “We hear shooting near Moscow’s “Profoyuznaya” metro station.” – Russian opposition Telegram

Special Forces units have arrived to protect the Russian Defense Ministry building in Moscow.

Special Operations Forces (SSO) commanded by Major General Valery Flustikov have taken over control of the Ministry of Defence headquarters on Frunzenskaya in Moscow. Right now, there’s no way of knowing whose side he is really on: Shoigu or Prigozhin. Probably “wait & see.”

What job(s) is the closest to the job of being James Bond?

Being an “NOC” or non-official cover.

In the United States, NOC’s work for an intelligence agency but work even harder to establish that they are actually working for a legitimate organization that has business in a particular country. They then visit that country from time to time to try to get information relevant to intelligence services, often meeting with people who want to provide information.

This is Valerie Plame. She was an NOC until the Bush administration deliberately blew her cover in an attempt to discredit her husband, who had said Iraq had not obtained uranium from Niger (and that the document saying Iraq did was a forgery).

To the world, she was an energy analyst, going from country to country, providing professional services in the energy sector. In reality, she worked for the CIA, mostly looking at where nuclear technology was being sold. Since she regularly dealt with the suppliers of such materials, she knew where things were going.

Most CIA agents overseas are attached to embassies or consulates, so if they get caught doing spy stuff, they have diplomatic immunity and just get sent back. NOC’s get tried for espionage when they specifically don’t have diplomatic immunity, as in Valerie Plame’s case.

U.S Chip Company Micron’s Falling Revenues Begging For China’s Concession

https://youtu.be/YpO2xlppyKg

South Ukraine NPP ??? – Being Used to Store US Weapons and Intelligence HQ

World Hal Turner 23 June 2023

The chatter about an attack upon a nuclear power plant inside Ukraine has ramped-up exponentially of late, and many of us believed the chatter was about the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) but it’s not.   Turns out it is about the South Ukraine Nuclear Power plant because it is being used to store US/NATO high-tech weapons, and is now the Intelligence HQ for NATO in the war.

The US and NATO are creating all this bluster about invoking NATO Treaty Article 5, “Collective Self-Defense” if there is a tactical nuclear explosion in Ukraine OR IF there is an attack upon a nuclear power plant which causes radiation leakage. 

Russia made clear from the beginning of its Special Military Operation to de-militarize and de-NAZIFY Ukraine that they already know NATO Conventional military forces are superior to Russian Conventional forces.   But, President Putin pointed out, Russia is also a nuclear power and many of Russia’s weapons are far superior to those held by NATO.  He then made clear that if Article 5 Collective Self Defense is invoked against Russia, the Russian Federation would have no choice but to use its nuclear weapons for self preservation.

As of today, June 23, 2023, Ukraine is LOSING the conflict very badly.  We are now over three full weeks into Ukraine’s much-vaunted “Spring Counter-Offensive” and it has achieved precisely nothing.  In fact, Ukraine is doing so badly that media in Europe (Germany) is now poking fun at them, saying “It’s not a counter-offensive, it’s a crash test.”

Given the utterly dismal failure of Ukraine’s ongoing counter-offensive, the powers in NATO realize that Ukraine’s

_____ O N L Y _____ hope is if NATO troops enter the conflict on the side of Ukraine.

But there’s a problem: Russia has not attacked any NATO country.   So there is no legal basis for NATO to take action.  

Now, most rational people would expect NATO to mind its own business, but the leadership of NATO is apparently so psychotic and maniacal, they are looking for an excuse to enter the fight!

Today, June 23 is the final day of NATO’s massive military air exercise called “Air Defender 2023.”  Over 225 war planes, and air crews totaling about ten thousand men, were shipped to Germany to begin this “exercise” on June 12.   Today is the final day of the exercise.   So what to do with all those war planes and air crews?   Oh, and of course, what to do with the three-hundred-thousand NATO troops which have been deployed all along the countries bordering Russia?  Send it all home?   

No.

Apparently, if Russia will not give NATO an excuse to enter the war, then NATO seems intent on CREATING an excuse to enter the war.  Hence, this sudden changing of what Article 5 collective self- defense means.   Now, if radiation merely leaks from an attack site inside Ukraine, NATO will call that an “attack upon NATO” and send in the troops.

Which brings us to the basic realities on the ground.

Russia controls the Zaporozyhe Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and the full territory around that plant.  The notion that Russia would attack its own plant as some sort of “terror attack” against Ukraine is idiocy. 

Moreover, Russia knows the prevailing wind patterns right now, around that plant, would carry radiation directly into Russia itself.  See the wind graphic below:

So it seems clear that anyone hitting the ZNPP is simply out of the question.  It would be stupidity – nothing else.

Turns out, the real nuclear power plant which may be the actual target, is the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (SUNPP), the location of which is shown on the map below:

Why is this likely the “real” target?  Because Ukraine and NATO are using this plant to store NATO High-tech weaponry such as HIMARS, ATACMS and the like.   Ukraine and NATO are also using this plant as an Intelligence Headquarters, in which all NATO Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and targeting coordinate info is shared with Ukraine.

If Russia hits this place, most of the high-tech weaponry gets wiped out, and so does the Intelligence sharing center.

So NATO is changing its rules about invoking Article 5, so that if (when) Russia hits this weapons depot, and all that NATO hardware goes up in multiple, giant, explosions (possibly also causing the nuke plant itself to start leaking) then NATO can claim a “radiation incident” and send in the troops.  (Story on Article 5 change HERE)

Here’s the crux of a REsolution introduced yesterday by US Senators Lindsay Graham and Richard Blumnenthal:

Of course, if NATO thinks the radiation from a Ukrainian nuclear power plant would be bad, they’re clearly not factoring-in the actual radiation from the Russian nuclear missiles that will likely rain down on NATO countries (including us here in the United States) once NATO invokes Article 5 and Russia is then forced to hit us with all she’s got.

This is a path to suicide for NATO and the west, and they’re not just walking down this path to suicide, they’re running down it.

It is entirely possible that nuclear war breaks out very VERY soon.  If this takes place, there may literally NOT be enough time to warn people in Europe or America that nuclear missiles are on the way.   It is entirely possible that the first notice we will get that we’re under Russian attack, is when the bright, white, flash hits, and we start burning to death as the 600+ mile per hour blast wave obliterates us.

Get right with God.

 URGENT – UPDATE 2:32 PM EDT —

The following news is being reported on Arabian news sites:

Ingredients

• 12 large green cabbage leaves
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

Instructions

1. Pour boiling water over cabbage leaves and soak until limp, about 4 minutes.
2. Combine beef, rice, onion, salt, and egg and mix well. Divide mixture into 12 equal portions and place one portion on each leaf. Roll up, tuck ends in and fasten with wooden picks.
3. Heat oil in heavy skillet or Dutch oven and brown the cabbage rolls for 10 minutes.
4. Combine tomato sauce, water, brown sugar and lemon juice and add to skillet. Simmer cabbage rolls for 1 hour, covered.
5. Serve hot.

Kawaii In The Afterlife: The Playfully Religious Art Of Japanese Illustrator Hasuimo

Japanese illustrator hasuimo makes no secret about the orientation of her art. The tweet pinned to the top of her account clearly states: “I like spiritual things.”

More: Tumblr, Twitter h/t: grapee

Bringing together a kawaii and fashion-conscious aesthetic and a fascination with Christian, Buddhist and Shinto iconography, sometimes blended together in startling new configurations, the illustrations she shares on her Tumblr account alternately feature nuns, angels, saints, cherubs, dead bodies, skulls, crosses, crowns, halos, aureoles, tombstones and even Jack-O’-Lanterns in the mix.

Many of the girls in hasuimo’s art wear triangle headbands. Originally an item decorating the bodies of the deceased at Buddhist funerals, it is often used in popular culture, manga and anime to indicate anyone who has passed on to the afterlife.

Ingredients

• 10 large potatoes, cooked and peeled
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup vinegar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons mustard

Instructions

1. Be sure potatoes are cold before adding dressing.
2. Heat sugar, water, vinegar, eggs and mustard in a saucepan.
3. Mix about 3 tablespoons cornstarch in a little water. Add some of the hot sauce to the cornstarch, then gradually add to the saucepan, stirring constantly.
4. Pour over cold potatoes and mix gently.
5. Refrigerate until serving time.

Is it true that most overseas Chinese overwhelmingly support the USA because they love and cherish the ideals of democracy and freedom?

Absolutely no way! I am practically born and educated in the US.

The ideals of US democracy is a joke to me and I despise it.

Democracy is the will of the people. In the US the ideals of democracy is the will of the politicians.

What the say to get elected is not close to what they do.

Everything is about opposition and polarization.

They last time we had anything close to what was promised to the people was Obama care. What was meant to be universal healthcare is essentially a tax penalty if you are not insured.

People want a better and easier life.

The main appeal for me here is nothing to do with political freedom.

For me I close to live in the US because it is less competitive and socially healthier than anywhere in Asia. I chose to invest in my education and excel in my career so I do have a great life.

In Asia due to population density, it is much more competitive for everything from education to getting a taxi cab.

Socially, work is intertwined with your life.

People work late, drink excessively with their bosses to network, and are expected to put in 110%. Putting in 100% is slacking off. Also professional network often involves womanizing and infidelity. The competition is ruthless.

The people I know from Asia come do come here for education, but it is not because the US has a better education system, but to avoid the intense competition back home.

Imagine putting in a Stanford effort to go to UC Irvine. That is the reality people face in Asia.

China hits back at Biden for calling Xi a ‘dictator’

What is the worst mistake a company can make?

Nokia CEO: “We did nothing wrong, however we ended up losing”

Do you know what the error was?

Not having made any mistakes, while other companies took risks, sometimes innovating and other times failing completely, Nokia’s mistake was playing it safe.

They reached the number one position with the most global sales and they bet to do the same thing always, something that in the short term was a good idea but in the long term it ended up taking its toll.

And I think that is a lesson in life, or at least I want to see it that way, sometimes we are so comfortable in our comfort zone that we don’t go out, the problem is that life is about going further and sooner or later that feeling of security, of comfort will end up taking its toll.

All the best.

I Died And Met An Alien | Near Death Experience | NDE

What do the renewed India and US ties mean to China?

China is happy and wishes US and India happy after in glorious harmony and huge influx of Indian immigrants in the U.S. May U.S. has fantastic prosperity in moving productions to India.

China is very grateful for the Himalayan mountains. Looking forward to big business from India buying Chinese parts, materials and components to assemble products for US market.

Is corruption the only reason some countries in South Asia are stranded in “developing” status?

Do you think Corruption doesnt exist in China or Singapore or South Korea?

Of course it does. Corruption exists everywhere and wherever there is position of power.

It is when Corruption and Development become Mutually Exclusive that trouble starts.

Lets take the Chinese and Singaporean Example:-

The “Golden Rule” of Deng Xiaopeng (Later emanated by Lee Kuan Yew) was that Corruption is inevitable.

So Deng developed his golden rule.

The Rule was called the “Bridge on the Village River” rule – where Deng would instruct his ministers

I want a Bridge on the Village River. It should be strong and it should be durable for 20 years and should not break or develop any problems or issues. I estimate the budget to be 100000 Yuan (Purely arbitary number) so i will sanction 120000 Yuan – so that 20000 Yuan can be used for miscellaneous purposes. I dont care how this money is going to be spend or who gets what portion. I will turn a blind eye to it BUT if the bridge collapses due to shoddy construction – i will personally crush any and all persons who were responsible for it.

That is the BOVR rule followed by China or Korea or Singapore.

End Results are all that matter. This way – the Nation gets the best product and the Nation develops and moves forward. People get enriched but Chinese or SIngaporeans regard this as a sort of Service Charge rather than Corruption or Bribes or Graft.

The Hong Kong police consisted of Chinese Nationals upto the rank of Sergeant and Britishers from the ranks of Inspector and above.

Every Chinese National would get at least 100% of his salary amount from Graft (Bribes) from Nightclub owners, Businessmen etc etc.

The Result – Hong Kong was almost completely crime free. The Triads did not touch common man. Not a single pistol could be brought into HK without consequences.

A Contractor who can get a superb building made within budget – takes a 10000 yuan commission will not be penalized until the building collapses in which case he is finished as are the party officials who chose him in the first place.

In Singapore – to ensure corruption does not exist – Lee Kuan Yew established measures like Huge Salaries to Ministers and Bonuses to Officials. A $ 100 Million contract into singapore – would mean a bonus of $ 200000 for the Officials at the concerned ministry. With such incentives – why would anyone turn to corruption????

Check out the Chinese Ministers – Each one wears a $ 12000 – $25000 Suit – tailored in London or New York or by Expats living in Shanghai. They have Rolls or Bentleys and the big ministries have exclusive helicopters.

They earn between 70% to 450% higher than the Median Base Pay for College Graduates.

Conclusion:-

A. Corruption Exists in China or Korea – but the Corruption is regarded as a Service Charge as long as the End Result is not harmful to the public or is not defective or of poor quality – NOBODY CARES. Imagine a Agent who is able to bring a 100 Helicopter Deal to China – he takes a kickback of $ 1 Million. As long as the Helicopters are top notch – nobody in China will care.

B. These countries pay commissions, incentives and higher salaries (Like Singapore) to ensure that Corruption is kept out or at least minimized completely. Imagine you get $ 10 Million a year as Minister – would you be stupid enough to accept or coordinate a bribe?

Gifts like Rolex Watches, Works of Art, Jewelry are commonplace and wont generate a huge public controversy.

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Now lets see India and Pakistan and Bangladesh

Thats where the Hypocrisy starts

Our Leaders pretend to be simple people. They Wear Khadi in the peak of summer, the Gandhian Caps, They balk at gifts which exceed over Rs. 5000/- and our Newspapers go on and on about a Chief Minister who accepted a $ 10000 Watch (Siddaramaiah) as a gift and he has to prove that he gifted the watch to a museum.

Yet 60% of the Politicians Ministers all have assets exceeding Rs. 50 Crores with allegations of exceeding Rs. 1000 or even Rs. 5000 Crores.

The Simplicity is a Deception on the People of India (Some people like Lal Bahadur Shastri were born simple but most of them are deceiving the people).

Poor Christian Michel gets thrown in Jail for bribery whereas the people on both sides are scot free.

CBI pursue a small time Havildar who took Rs. 1000/- bribe on Diwali

And we claim to be Tough on Corruption

And in our case – since unlike China or Singapore or South Korea – Our Leadership is Illiterate or Semi Literate in most cases – the Corruption affects our Quality very badly

Roads that get Potholes with 2 days of rain , Bridges that Collapse regularly, Structures that are rarely steady and would not receive certification by the blindest Quality Engineer anywhere outside India or Pakistan or Sri Lanka or Bangladesh, Poor Quality Manufactured goods etc.

The Gandhian Mentality is solely responsible for why our Leaders pretend to be simple yet why they become richer and richer while the country gets zero or near zero quality products or infrastructure.

Had we been China – we would have offered a 1.5% flat commission to the Officers who got us the Rafale Deal. This would have eliminated corruption since the bribe money would have come in the form of incentives and service charges.

Had we been Singapore or Korea – we would have ensured that Christian Michel would be regarded as nothing more than a Commission Agent and we would not have even glanced in his direction considering his “Payments” as nothing more than “Service Fees”

Instead our System is a Gigantic Hypocrisy – as is the case of Pakistan or Bangladesh or Sri Lanka.

Pretence, Pretence, Pretence

Punish the small fry and ignore the huge sharks and whales

Ensure that corruption has a direct and total impact on the quality of products

Ensure that Rhea Chakraborty is sent to jail with the whole nation clapping and cheering while Ministers who ordered Bridges to collapse or Contractors responsible for building roads which kill due to potholes – end up getting more contracts.

That is why – while the Asian Countries like China or Singapore grow – India is doomed. It is the system that is corrupted completely and totally.

The Connection Between Near Death Experiences & Alien Contact with Grant Cameron

What is the biggest mistake that a big company has made?

Imagine working in the hot streets of Manila in the early 1990s. You are a butcher, slaving away in a loud, humid market for long hours. You only make several dollars a day to support a large family.

One evening, you are holding a Pepsi bottle cap in your hand. On it is a number. You bought several of these sodas in hopes of winning a big $40,000 giveaway at the end of the promotion. This money could change your family’s life. It is a mountain of earnings in a world of limited opportunities. You watch as Pepsi begins reading off the winners on TV.

Suddenly, you realize you’ve won. Incredulous, you quadruple-check your numbers. The number is accurate. Your heart begins racing as you rush to call your wife and kids. However, you, and many winners like you, will never see that money. But at least you won’t lose your life, like some.

It started a year prior.

Pepsi was trying to break into the Philippine market where Coca-Cola was already dominant. This was the 12th largest soft drink market, with a rapidly growing population of 62 million people.

The economy was weak. Lots of people struggling to make ends meet. Tens of millions worked in rice fields and other physically demanding, low-paying jobs.

Pepsi executives decided to do a promotional campaign that promised to have lots of payouts. Each Pepsi bottle cap would have a number that correlated to a prize that would be announced. There were be lots of small winners and then two huge winners of $40,000 each.

One Massive, Massive Problem

Pepsi hoped the allure of prize money would convert many of the low-income Coke drinkers. They strategically planned to give out a total of $2M in prizes.

However, a computer glitch with one of Pepsi’s vendors caused them to manufacture 800,000 bottles with the number “349” on the bottle cap.

The number “349” was the $40,000 winning number.

Pepsi had explicitly told its vendor factories not to print this number at all. The two bottles with that number would be specially manufactured and sent to the Philippines by Pepsi themselves.

So here is Pepsi, churning along each month, not knowing they accidentally sent $32 billion worth of winning caps to the Philippines. Meanwhile, everyone in the Philippines is going bananas for this promotion, buying up all the soda bottles. This disruptive campaign increased Pepsi’s market share from 4% to 24.9% in just two months.

Fast Forward. The big day arrives. All the Filipinos have their TVs on. Pepsi goes on to announce the winning bottlecap number, 349, and across the Philippines, crowds of people are cheering. They’ve won enough money to buy a large house.

Pepsi then realizes they’ve made a terrible mistake. They do their whole, “Whoa whoa whoa, hold up.”

The optics of the situation aren’t pretty. You have this first-world multibillion-dollar business that has made this huge monetary promise to these poor people, only to backpedal and blame it on a system error. One could see how it wouldn’t sit well with a rice farmer.

Pepsi realizes they can’t just walk away without paying anything. They make an offer of $18 to each patron. It came out to $8.7M in total payouts, versus their original budget of $2M. The people don’t find this offer very appetizing.

A 349 Alliance consumer action group forms. They begin protesting across Manila, in front of government buildings as well as Pepsi’s local headquarters.

Things start to get more violent. Then, full-blown riots break out. More than 30 Pepsi trucks are firebombed in the process.

Then the situation escalates even more. Police are called in and rioters begin fighting with them, throwing rocks.

The police begin lobbing tear gas canisters at the protestors. Then a random protester throws a live grenade that ricochets off of a Pepsi truck and accidentally kills a woman and a young girl.

The fighting continues on throughout the day. By the end of all the carnage, five people die and dozens more are wounded. All because of a marketing promotion went wrong.

Following all of this, Pepsi faced thousands of court claims that it had to work through in the following years. There was a lengthy trial and the Philippine commerce courts eventually ruled that Pepsi’s mistake wasn’t malicious and it hadn’t committed a crime.

At the end of everything, Pepsi’s total combined losses, between physical, legal, and brand equity costs, would top $20M. Their market share would plummet and take years to rebound.

But Pepsi, ever the resilient brand, would recover its market share in due time. But not before “revisiting” a few of their internal processes.

Is it true that Tom Cruise recently rode the subway alone during rush hour and without a disguise? What happened?

In 2014, while filming Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation in London, Tom Cruise was late for the set, due to traffic jams, and he proposed to his costar in the film, actress Rebecca Fergusson, take the subway to save time.

The latter found the idea insane but was finally convinced.

Tom Cruise put on a cap, his headphones, and he rushed with her into the London Underground, as if nothing had happened.

“People don’t pay attention, he told a reporter during the Fallout promo in 2018. Everyone looks at their phone, reads a magazine. People are in their bubble…”

But while he was in a car, totally incognito, a person still recognized him…

“Suddenly I see a 16-year-old girl staring at me like that.

I was standing, I was holding the bar, and she was sitting. She had her eyes fixed on me, she had recognized me.

She then did something brilliant: she slowly turned her head from left to right, she looked at the other people in the car, to see if anyone else had recognized me. But she was the only one.
She looked at me again, looking disbelieving.
And I looked her in the eyes and I did this to her:

And in return, she made this face:

Like she’s like, ‘OK, okay…'”

Is China entering a lost decade or generation like Japan had after rapid and unstable economic growth?

Ah

That’s the basic flaw and premise here

You are doing what I call the Indian Policeman investigation

Basically he first decides who the suspects are and then he arranges the evidence to find them guilty

He doesn’t look at the evidence and decide who is guilty

What you are doing is to assume that because Japan had a lost decade and a lost generation, to automatically assume China would have a lost generation and the slowly start arranging your own version of the evidence to suit your theory

You dont examine the evidence and establish the future of China by economic theory. You simply take Japan as a case study and fit China into the same league

Like say if i use British Colonialism that collapsed and use that to assume US will also collapse in the same way

By “You” i mean nutcase economists in the West and another nutcase who has just written an answer for this post

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Heres why China is different from Japan

• Population — China has a whopping 1.4 Billion people of whom 50% are Middle class. This means almost 46% are Low Income and they will grow economically causing a consumer demand to rise for a much longer time. By contrast Japan had almost 80.2% Middle Class by 1995 which meant almost no room for further growth economically
• Belt and Road Initiative — Japan never dominated global trade to even 20% of the extent that China is dominating. China’s Dominance will last long due to the BRI and its influence will extend over the global south. This means a much larger portion of Chinese Industry will be relevant in the next two decades while Japanese Industrial relevance was saturated by 1995 in all industries after they peaked.
• Capitalism vs Socialism :— Almost 30 years of Japanese Growth from 1970–2000 was in a Socialist Asia and a Communist World. Japan had only S Korea, Singapore and HK as competitors while India, China were largely Socialist countries. Japan was highly dependent on the Western markets. China on the other hand lives in an era where every Nation is capitalist and rigid competition exists. China is lesser dependent on Western Markets than Japan ever was especially from 1970–2000
• Technological Edge :— Japan aged almost 20 years ago when Technology was not 20% as good as today. Japanese population thus struggled with workforce issues. China will age only by 2025 and technology today means China has many alternatives to workforce issues like Automation & Exporting Jobs (Remember Japan’s ageing happened by 2003 by which time the world was still only slowly slumbering from Socialism)
• Manufacturing Giant vs Specialist:— China controls the Supply Chain and has huge relevance in every sphere from T Shirts to Zips to Chipsets while Japan was always a specialist and never once controlled a supply chain, sharing it with Korea and Taiwan

So China will not go into the ‘Lost Generation’ mode like Japan

They are very different if you remove your bias and look at the economics

China’s demographics will start giving problems to China only post 2062 and will be serious only by 2100 AD

Making This Your LAST Incarnation On This Earth School!