When my wife and I got a job in Pago Pago, we had to leave all of our belongings behind. That included our little dog PP.
So we left him with a friend. PP and our cat at that time; FeiMei then moved in with our friend. And we left for the South Pacific.
A year later, we returned. Pago pago was not to our liking and situations there forced us to return to China and start all over again. *sigh*
But it turned out that our friend had sold or lost all of our belongings and had given the dog PP away. She still had the cat; Feimei, and loved her to death and would not part with her. We had no idea where PP was.
About six months after we arrived in Shenzhen, we got a phone call from an old vet. It turned out that the lady that our “friend” had sold PP to had abandoned him at a vet, and his ID tag listed us as the owners.
Well… GREAT NEWS!
So we left first thing the next day and made it to the vet. We wanted to get him back, don’t you know.
But the vet was closed.
So I peered in the door, and saw PP at the end of the vet, looking sad.He had bright orange ears. And a bright fluorescent green tail. But it was him. No question about it.
And as I was peering in, he noticed me…
… he stopped and peered into the morning gloom…
…he then looked closely at me…
…then…
…then… he like jerked back and started barking like crazy, going around and around, and around in his pen. It went on like this non-stop.
He recognized me.
But the office was closed.
So, we went to get breakfast, and when we returned to the vet, I swear that PP just about jumped out of his skin to hug both of us. That was one happy reunion. I’ll tell you what.
From that moment on, we kept him with us at all times. It lasted until, well… he got really old and was having all sorts of old doggie problems. Poor guy. I hope that I don’t become a burden when I am that old.
But the story is that he was so happy. We were so happy. All of us were so very happy.
Reunions! Great things! Great memories!
Today…
Romans 12
Who was the richest kid at your high school?
The boarding school I attended was a prestigious international boarding school hidden deep in the British countryside. With fees putting the school in the top 10 most expensive boarding schools in the United Kingdom, you can imagine the type of people that attended. Let me give you some interesting examples of those who attended:
Rich Arabs/Russians/Chinese
These were the guys who would struggle deciding what supercar to ask for their 21st birthday. With many owning their own penthouses and townhouses in Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Chelsea, at the age of <20. They’d dress head-to-toe in Brioni, Christian Louboutin and Tom Ford. I once sold a can of Cola and two packets of Walkers/Lays crisps to a Russian boarder who paid £25 just to emphasise his wealth in front of his onlooking room mates. In my first year at the same college, I remember a boarder whose father ran the one of the largest bank in Hong Kong was repeatedly told off by staff for revving his Ferrari California too loud in the student car park.
English Heritage Wealth
As well as the international students, many students had families who lived in London and around the UK. Often refraining from portraying their wealth, I often found these guys to be more selective of who they befriended due to the tradition of protected social circles. A student in my IT class drove a Volkswagen Polo and wore a highly affordable TM Lewis suit, with only a few students knowing that his family owned one of the largest yachts harboured in St Tropez.
The richest kids
Off the top of my head, these were the most wealthy individuals I knew at my school:
- A British boarder who really lived below his means considering his dad was worth £2.3 billion pounds and part-owned one of the largest real-estate companies in the UK. His father visited the school only once and of course he had a personal assistant with him at the time.
- A Russian boarder whose father had close connections in the Russian government. He had a penthouse in Paris and was provided a weekly allowance of £10,000 by his parents.
- A Chinese boarder whose family owned one of the largest property companies in Hong Kong.
To end on, here’s a funny yet very true story:
There was a Chinese student who everyone thought couldn’t be any more further from being wealthy. He’d buy second-hand clothing from charity stores, his iPhone was at least 6-years old and he never wore any designer clothes whatsoever. On the last day of term, we were all sat on the coach heading for the airport for international students to fly home for the holidays. The coach always stopped at 2 separate airport terminals – the first stop was the terminal heading for Asia, the second stop was the terminal heading for Europe. Before we even got to the first stop, the coach took a short detour to a separate terminal entrance homing the extra large hangers for privately owned jets. The Chinese boy got up, said good bye to his friend and stepped off the coach. He is the richest person I’ve ever met at my boarding college.
Amongst the many wealthy individuals who often portray their wealth, you’ll rarely come across the seemingly poor yet ultra, ultra 0.001% rich.
Another Zionist Crime – The Psychopathic Destruction Of Rafah
This morning the Israeli army ordered hundred thousands of refugees to move from the eastern part of Rafah to the already destroyed and likewise overcrowded area around Khan Younis. Hours later it started to bomb and destroy the place.
biggerThe eastern part of Rafah includes the Rafah crossing to Egypt through which food an other necessities enter Gaza. It also includes the largest still existing healthcare facility.
As the Zionist entity will likely continue in its usual pattern the eastern part of Rafah will be completely destroyed. After that it will do the same with its western part.
There will not be one building left in Gaza that is inhabitable.
I mostly refrain from writing about the crimes of the colonial settler regime. It is simply beyond my emotional capabilities.
This poem, by Caitlin Johnstone, is probably the best way to express my feelings:
I Oppose Israel’s Atrocities In Gaza Because I’m Not A Psychopath
I don’t oppose the butchery in Gaza because I love Hamas or hate Jews or love Islam or hate America. I don’t oppose the butchery in Gaza because I’m a lefty or a commie or an anarchist or an anti-imperialist. I oppose the butchery in Gaza because I’m not a fucking psychopath.
Every one who openly or silently supports the Zionist in this should be in jail.
Did you ever get someone fired? If yes, how did it go?
I also did, unintentionally. I found myself unemployed for the first and last time in 1999. I had worked for British Petroleum for almost 20 years, and if I had managed to last beyond 20 years, all of my retirement benefits would have increased dramatically. It wasn’t official policy, but it was a fact that many BP employees were laid off in their 19th year, which saved BP a ton of money over the long term.
At any rate, I had no plan for trying to find a new job, since I never thought I would ever need one. I was put through the BP senior-employee layoff process, which included a lot of training on job searching and interviewing and so on. I went through the process of signing up for unemployment, and spent my days composing and emailing out letters offering my services to every contact I could think of. To no avail.
One of the recommendations was to call contacts and try to set up lunches “just to stay in touch”. I did this fairly often with no result, until I suggested lunch with a colleague who I had worked with at BP, and who was then at a very small oil exploration company. We had lunch, during which he asked me to send him a resume, which he planned to show to his boss. His boss really liked my resume, and I ended up being hired as my friend’s partner.
What I was never told was that they didn’t have an open position. When I showed up for work I was introduced to an employee who had been instructed to bring me up to speed on the projects he was currently working. Over the next few days, I picked up from this guy’s attitude and other clues that they were evaluating me as a replacement. They never told me that forthrightly, or I might have told them no. But I was getting desperate after 6 months out of work, so I just tried to do an excellent job on whatever I was asked to do and hoped it would work out.
It was a very awkward situation. The guy I was being asked to replace was actually someone I had worked with earlier – although we had never worked together on anything. He was more clued in and knew he was in danger of losing his job to me, so his attitude was way less than helpful. Fortunately they made me a job offer within a week, and officially let the other guy go. We were both working in the oil industry in Houston, so we ran into each other regularly. We actually ended up as friends, so it worked out ok. We never talked about my “getting him fired”. It was just too uncomfortable a subject.
Tacos de Carnitas
Crispy bits of very flavorful pork is the base for these delicious street tacos.
Ingredients
- 1 (3 to 4 pound) pork butt
- 6 cups water
- 7 strips orange zest
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 1 cinnamon stick (preferably Mexican canela)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed oregano leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 24 small corn tortillas, warmed
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Finely chopped white onion
- Diced fresh tomato
Instructions
- Trim any thick fat from the pork butt. Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes, discarding any that are pure fat, leaving some of the fat for flavor and browning later.
- Put the pork cubes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface during the first 15 minutes. After foam is skimmed off, add the chopped onion, garlic, orange zest, crushed red pepper, cinnamon, bay leaves, oregano, cloves and salt. Simmer uncovered for another 1 1/4 hours until pork is very tender, adding more water if necessary to keep it submerged.
- Season with more salt.
- Continue simmering at a gentle boil until the water has evaporated, about 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon. Cook a little longer to fry the meat, stirring often and adding a little water it it seems to be sticking and/or burning.
- Spoon some carnitas onto each tortilla. Top tacos with chopped onion, cilantro and diced fresh tomato.
- Serve with refried beans and Mexican rice for a genuine
Shorpy images
1.Never gamble on a fart. If it’s at all questionable find a toilet and sit down.
2. If you’re a male conduct all toilet business sitting down. A swollen prostate can force you to strain very hard to pee while at the same time clench your butt muscles not to poop. This is a very conflicting exercise and requires extensive training to perfect.
3. Never waste an erection. What used to arise without provocation is now a rare gift to be cherished and shared if at all possible.
4. If you must read the obituaries do it only to gloat over those you have outlived.
5. Only tell your old stories to people you have just met. Everyone else has heard them already and some may even remember what really happened.
6. Stay crazy so you will always have new stories to tell your old friends.
7. Remember your fighting skills no longer match your anger levels. So either avoid fighting or devise more treacherous ways to channel your anger.
8. When seeking a mate be prepared to lower your standards and look for someone who is willing to lower theirs as well.
9.Start a long term project that you know nothing about. This will give you something to look forward to and strengthen your denial of your impending doom.
10. Clear your browsing history after each use. Don’t let that dirty little secret become your legacy.
Why stop at ten when it goes all the way to eleven?(spinal tap reference)
11. Always look for the humor in everything.
The dude is spot on
SpaghettiOs
Kids will love this homemade version of a favorite canned pasta.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 (26 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 ounces ditalini or pasta of choice, uncooked
Instructions
- In a large pot mix together the sauce, water and milk. Bring to a boil.
- When it reaches a bowl, stir in the cheese and turn it down to a simmer. Continue to stir until the cheese is melted.
- Add the garlic and stir.
- Pour in the uncooked pasta. Simmer on low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally during the first 5 to 6 minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Check the pasta after 20 minutes, if it’s not as soft as you would like, cook it a little longer. Sauce will thicken even more over time.
Why China is FURIOUS After Blinken Visit
What is the most badass thing your parent has ever done?
When I was in 5th grade I saw my father do something completely badass!
It was a typical night for our family sitting around watching television on a weeknight.
BAM BAM BAM!!!!!!!!
The door of our house was getting pounded on, scaring all of us out of our seats. My father jumps up and opens the door.
On the front stoop is our neighbor holding their infant child, naked upside down and blue. The baby boy was choking on a piece of candy he had somehow grabbed.
They had tried to turn him over and shake him trying to dislodge the candy, it didn’t work. They ran to our house.
My dad calmly grabbed the child and performed the Heimlich maneuver. the candy spat right out and the color of the child came back. I just stood there in awe. The mother just cried and couldn’t stop thanking my father.
My dad worked for the post office, but volunteered for the fire department as an EMT. He also volunteered for the Police and was a baseball and softball umpire. Just like most boys, we didn’t always get along, but I always respected the badass things he did in his life.
Five women to avoid
Russia To Conduct Tactical Nuke Drill “To Deter Western Threats”
Russia’s Defense Ministry announced Monday that its forces were preparing to conduct tactical nuclear weapons exercises in response to Western “threats and provocations.”
“At the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, in order to increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to perform combat missions, the General Staff has begun preparations for conducting exercises in the near future,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
It added that the exercises would involve missile units of Russia’s Southern Military District, which is headquartered in the city of Rostov-on-Don, as well as aviation and naval forces.
“During the exercise, a set of measures will be carried out to practice the issues of preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons,” the statement read.
According to the Defense Ministry, the exercises seek to maintain the readiness of personnel and equipment amid “provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials against the Russian Federation.” It did not say when the nuclear weapons exercises were scheduled to take place.
President Vladimir Putin placed Russia’s nuclear forces on high alert days after ordering Russian troops to invade Ukraine in February 2022.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later on Monday linked the drills with what he described as Western announcements to send troops to Ukraine.
In an interview with The Economist last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said the question of sending Western troops to Ukraine would “legitimately” arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines and Kyiv made such a request.
Late stages of Empire
America’s Empire Is Collapsing. Here’s How to Prepare.
Who was the craziest person you ever met and what memories do you have of him/her?
Sad situation. I was working for a small PD and got called to respond to an “unknown disturbance” on July 4, 1986…mid afternoon. I got there and a family was sitting at a picnic table under a carport in their front yard.
The man stands up to greet me and tells me his brother is off his meds and they can’t get him to come out to eat.
The brother lives in a small shed. No windows, no air conditioning, located on the side of the house near the driveway. I walk over to the shed and look inside.
He’s there, completely naked, and covered from head to toe in his own blood. He’s been meticulously cutting and peeling back skin, all over his body except for his face and there isn’t a spot on him that’s not pouring out blood.
He’s holding a knife, with the handles removed, and as I look around into the dark shed, I see hundreds of knives with their handles removed all over the place. I ask his name and he say’s, “Robert”.
I tell him mine, and ask if he’s okay.
He nods that he is, but continues to work on a filet of skin from his forearm area with the knife.
I’ve already called EMS and they arrive, but will not go near him (obviously). I ask Robert if he’d like to go for a ride, and he say’s, “okay”.
I tell him to put down the knife and come outside and he stares blankly for a minute, then says, “alright” and puts down the knife.
He walks out slowly and his eyes adjust to the light.
EMS starts to step forward but I stop them and say, ”Robert, these guys are going to have to take you and clean you up before you can ride in the car.
Would you come over and sit down on their gurney so they can do that?”.
Again emotionless, Robert say’s “okay” and slowly walks to the stretcher.
I stayed and talked with him throughout the loading process until they took him to the hospital.
…
The brother never got up from his meal.
Russia Warns British Ambassador – Russia May Strike British Forces ***ANYWHERE**
Both the French and British Ambassadors to Russia were Summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry this morning. When they came out, they were pale with nothing to say to the Press. INTEL Source reveals what the British were told.
A strong protest was expressed to the British ambassador in connection with the country’s Foreign Minister David Cameron’s statement about Kiev’s right to strike Russia with British weapons. (Reported HERE 3 days ago)
The Ambassador was warned that “the Russian response to Ukrainian strikes using British weapons on Russian territory, could be any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and beyond.”
What’s the most ridiculous adult tantrum you’ve witnessed that you couldn’t believe?
This one’s a doozy. I was about 4 months pregnant; my BD ripped the visor completely off my mother’s car, proceeded to bang the visor on the steering wheel until the mirror compact popped out of the visor. He then pulled the car over on a narrow road in the middle of morning traffic and hopped out of the car. He started screaming while pacing around the car. I told him I was going to drive home, and I started climbing my pregnant self over the center console to get in the driver’s seat. He quickly opened the door and shoved me back over. He told me that he was going to be the one to take my mom’s car back to her after he dropped me off at my house. I didn’t have much option but to listen at that point. He dropped me off, dropped my mom’s car off and then he CAME BACK to my house asking if he could brush his teeth before he went to work. Asshole.
Why you ask? Because he had no children, and he was annoyed I had to drop off and pick up my son from school. He was insisting that my son should ride the bus. I just moved to a new home 35 minutes away from his school and they didn’t run a bus that far. He refused to accept that they wouldn’t drive a school bus 35 minutes away. He threw a tantrum simply because he thought I was lying about bus routes. For what it is worth, I was not lying. My car was totaled the month before and I was sharing my mom’s car… my mom didn’t live with me. You think a pregnant woman wants to wake up an hour earlier than normal, just so she can walk to her mother’s house to drive her son to school? As if.
Oh, and I didn’t let him brush his teeth!
Are you toxic?
What kinds of conversations only happen in China?
Here is a conversation which has happened to me fairly frequently. I get approached by a man or woman who is in her 60s or 70s, and the conversation starts like this:
“Are you married?”
“No.”
“Why not? Do you like men instead?”
“No, I like women. I guess I have just not met the right one.”
“How much money do you make?”
“I make xxx.”
“Do you own a house?”
“No, I don’t.”
“You seem like a decent person. Why aren’t you married?”
“I have had some bad luck.”
“Would you be interested in meeting my daughter? She is 40 years old and not married yet. I was wondering if you could meet and become friends?”
By this time, my mind is whirling madly. If agree to meet, their hopes are very high, and if things don’t work out, I will end up hurting them. Time for some honesty.
“If you give me a way to contact her, I will contact her directly and we can have dinner. But I don’t want you to be involved in the process if that’s OK with you.”
“OK. Do you have a recent photo? I will give it to her and ask her. And give me your phone number so that she can contact you directly.”
“Here you go. Thank you.”
In fairness, this kind of conversation has happened to me in the US too, but only among Chinese.
There are a lot of desperate Chinese parents out there.
Western Actions in Ukraine: Approaching an “Explosive Critical Mass”
The Russian Federation will perceive F-16s in Ukraine as carriers of nuclear weapons, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, adding that Russia reserves the right to react in a mirror way to the deployment of American-made missiles.
The Russian Foreign Ministry’s statements on the escalation in Ukraine:
The Russian Tactical nuclear weapons exercises should be viewed in the context of recent belligerent statements by Western officials and destabilizing actions by NATO.
We hope that exercises to test the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons will cool down the “hot heads” in Western capitals.
In response to the actions of the United States, the Russian Federation is intensifying its development and starting production of medium and shorter-range missile systems.
The United States is “at full speed” producing and testing medium and short-range missile systems in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
The actions of NATO member countries indicate that they are deliberately heading towards an open military clash with Russia.
The reckless steps of Ukraine and Western countries are bringing the situation ever closer to the accumulation of an explosive “critical mass.”
If red flags were a woman
What are some of the unwritten rules in Australia?
As an Indonesian, I’d like to answer the question from an Asian perspective. To Australians or other Western countries, my answer will probably sound ridiculously obvious.
- NEVER leave water tap running when unused, even for 1 second. Australians are super efficient with water. Using the water efficiently is like taking your shoes off in Asian peoples home.
- To elaborate, you should never fully max out the water tap. Keep the water running gently, unless you’re in the showers. For example, when you are applying soap to the dishes, turn the tap off.
- When you’re driving and someone gives way for you, smack that thumbs up, do the gentle nod and mouth “thanks mate” even if they can’t hear it. Also, if you’re the one crossing the road, you have to jog a little, even the seniors would sprint to the other end.
- If you live in Australia for some time, you’ll notice Aussies speak in this super friendly casual tone. The sooner you learn to speak like so, the better your interactions will be with the people.
- Australians follow the speed limit spiritually, don’t drive too fast or too slow. Don’t tailgate and never use the car horn unless you’re about to crash, even then, I think Aussies instinctively don’t use the horn when it happen. Using the horn is like saying “F*** you”.
- The no double dipping rule: If you are sharing a sauce with someone, don’t double dip the bitten part of the food back on the sauce. Double dipping is like kissing mouth to mouth in Australia.You also don’t share straws, spoons, forks and etc. If you are drinking someones else water bottle, don’t let your mouth touch the bottle.
- Behaving like a boss is a recipe for disaster in Australia, even if you’re the son of Jack Ma, they don’t give a s***. Australians don’t tolerate super assertive behaviours in public setting or even professionally, treat everyone equally. No snapping fingers, no whistles.
- Show some manners: The word thank you and please is overused in Australia, but that’s just how it is.
- If you’re having a house party, it is a crime not to invite your surrounding neighbours especially if it’s going to go on till late.
- It’s also a crime to jump in on queues, it’s one free ticket to confrontation with an Australian. If you’re not sure where the queues begin, simply ask.
- Adding mate to the end of sentences will make you sound friendly. Even if you’re a foreigner with an accent, people will respect you a little more.
- If you’re in public transportation, please for the love of god, don’t answer phone calls or make calls. If you really have to, keep it super quiet or find an empty area to make those calls.
- Bring beer to a BBQ or wine to a dinner party.
- Don’t touch or get physical when interacting with people unless you know them well enough. People take personal space seriously, skin to skin contact with a stranger is like a threat, that even a small bump you’ll have to say sorry.
- If you carry a luggage and you’re getting on a taxi or Uber, help the driver even if it’s not so heavy. Getting right inside the car while the driver is still lifting the luggage is pretty disrespectful.
- It’s weird to take selfies in public, especially in busy areas.
- Chewing food with your mouth open or making absurd chew noises will get you deported.
- You don’t call indigenous ethnic group “Abos”. Some people still use the phrase “aboriginal people” but I was told that it’s no longer acceptable (well it depends). The correct term would be Indigenous Australians.PS: This happen to some international student in my university.
- You can call people by their last names. In fact, some bosses likes to be addressed with their first or last names and without the Mr/Mrs/Miss.
- If you cough or sneeze, please cover it up. Leave the room, use the tissue to block your mouth and nostrils, and always say sorry or excuse me afterwards.
Some fun book titles
What is the most badass thing your parent has ever done?
The most badass thing my mom ever did, was gave me a troll doll.
I was in elementary school (2nd grade), and my father had just left us. (I received the news that he moved out from a fellow classmate that drove by our house when he was returning to school from a doctors appointment. Came home to all of his stuff gone.)
That week my mom scrambled to find a roommate to move in with us, so that she could afford the mortgage. Thankfully, one of her friends at work offered to move in with us.
At P.E. one day, a bully at school started teasing me about my mom and us living with another woman. He starting calling her gay and saying things such as “that’s why your dad left you guys… your mom likes women.”
I asked him to stop.
Then I told him to shut up.
Everyone was looking at us, looking at me.
That’s when I started crying.
He came up to me laughing, calling me names, and then pushed me down.
At that moment, something in me snapped. I got back up, and started hitting him, hard. I knocked him to the ground, and started kicking him and hitting him some more. Still crying of course.
30 minutes later my mom was at the school picking me up from the principals office. I was embarrassed, sad, shaking. I knew fighting was wrong. I knew I had disappointed her. The nurse showed my mom the bully’s stomach. I had kicked him so hard at one point, I had left a shoe mark. Oh boy, this was bad. My mom asked me to tell her what happened in the office, that she wanted to hear it from me.
Up until this point, I hadn’t mentioned what he was saying about my mother. I was embarrassed. I didn’t really know what “gay” was, but I knew since I had been bullied about it, that it was something I was supposed to be embarrassed and ashamed about. I told her that he was being mean. She asked how. I told her that he was saying mean things about me, about her. This surprised her, I remember her expression well.
“What was he saying about me?” She asked.
I had never lied to my mom, so I told her through tears that he had called her gay and said that’s why my dad left, as well as other mean things. Also of course, that he had put his hands on me first.
My mom, as well as the school staff, looked embarrassed. Somehow I knew I had made it worse. I was told I would have OSS for 2 days (out of school suspension) for fighting. We went home.
At home my mom and I talked. She explained to me what “gay” was. She said that’s not why my dad had left. She explained why she needed a roommate. She asked me if I had questions. I didn’t. I never did.
Three days later I came home after my first day back at school. Waiting for me at the dining room table, was a troll doll. It had boxing gloves and boxing shorts on. My mom said she was proud of me.
Proud that I fought back against the bully.
Then she also reminded me that fighting is not how we solve problems, but she understood that sometimes our voices weren’t enough.
No gift from my mother has ever been so meaningful, or badass.
Hatachi knows
UPDATED 4:47 PM EDT — *** FLASH *** French Ambassador “Warned” By Russia
Earlier today, this website reported the British Ambassador had been Warned by Russia (HERE) and now we can confirm the French Ambassador has also been explicitly warned over Ukraine. The reaction by Paris was clear and unambiguous.