Here’s a story from my High School days.
It was, I seem to recall, 11th grade. I was working at Black Fox Mining; a coal mining company, and a local supermarket in town as a “stock boy”.
I’d go to school, and then afterwards, I would work at either of my two jobs depending on the time of year and the various changing situations that I found myself in.
Now, at High School, we had this thing called a “Home Room”, It was the place where we would gather at the start and end of school. It was just a gathering place, and that was all there was to it. We would go there. Sit down in our assigned seat, and then roll call. And when the bell rang, we would get up and go to class.
Meanwhile, at the grocery store, I worked stocking shelves.
Well, one day, in the back room, I was tasked with burning up all this promotional gear from the food company; Del Monte. This was a common enough event. And no big deal.
At that time they were promoting the “Jolly Good Giant” green peas.
The promotional posters were two meters high and one meter wide high-glossy pictures of this green man wearing green clothing and standing near a can of peas. Maybe something like this…
Yeah. So what is so big about this?
Well, on a lark, I went and took all the 20 something posters of this giant and peas, and with permission, I put them up on all the walls of the homeroom. LOL.
I don’t know why they allowed this. But they did.
Maybe because the 1970’s was a crazy off-the-wall time.
Imagine this; a room with walls decorated in peas and big green giants. It was just crazy and off the wall. But it was a snapshot of my life at that time.
And with that memory, we can start with today’s stuff…
What’s it like to live in an apartment above the 50th floor in New York City?
This is actually an interesting question.
In terms of height and views of the city, there is a point of diminishing returns which, when exceeded, results in less desirable views. After that point, the higher the apartment the worse the views will be.
I would say that when you reach the 50th floor, your views are only the sky. It’s like having skylights as windows.
In Manhattan, apartments from the 15th floor to the 25th floor are ideal for city views. In these units, spectacular views of the city can be seen from sitting positions. For views, that’s the building’s “sweet spot.”
On higher floors you have to get closer to the window and look down to see the city below you. You feel above the city, not a part of it.
If you have to go to the window and look down to see the city, what’s the point of having that view? Ideally, the view should be seen from sitting positions on sofas and chairs. If it’s not, you’re too high.
If I had one word to describe living above the 50th floor of an apartment tower, it would be “isolation.”
Many foreigners who go to China get upset because most people in China don’t speak English. What’s your opinion?
My opinion can be summed up in rolling my eyes. How presumptive and arrogant to expect people in non-English speaking countries to speak English for the sake of tourists? That defies common sense.
Sure, many people in China have some English ability from learning some in school, and many are quite eager to practice it with foreigners visiting (although some may be uncomfortable or afraid of speaking incorrectly and pretend they don’t know any), but no one should go there with the assumption that they will be understood by everyone wherever they go, and with a level that reaches fluency.
Anytime a person visits a country that doesn’t speak their native language I suggest they try to learn as many phrases as they can. Not vocabulary lists, but practical phrases about directions, landmarks (not just tourist spots but hotels, police stations, hospitals, taxis, airports, or bathrooms too), currency and cost, food, and general things a tourist might need to know. A translate app and currency conversion app on their phone is a must. If they have the ability, hire a translator.
But for heaven’s sake, do not expect an entire country to learn English for your arrival. Who do you think you are? Supreme Overload of the World?
Hello Kitty (Uncanny) – 1950’s Super Panavision 70
Russian Court Sentences U.S. Journalist Gershkovich To 16 Years In Prison
You know WHY? Because Putin does NOT fear the WRATH of the United States of America. Because there is no wrath of the USA at Putin for all his crimes and war he wages.
U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich appeared in court in Yekaterinberg on June 26
A court in Russia has found Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich guilty of espionage charges that he, his employer, and the U.S. government have rejected as politically motivated, and sentenced him to 16 years in prison.
After hearing closing arguments in the case on July 19, a day after both Gershkovich’s employer and the U.S. State Department called for his immediate release, the court handed down its ruling behind closed doors, RFE/RL reported.
U.S. President Joe Biden said Gershkovich was sentenced despite having committed no crime. A White House statement quoted Biden as saying Gershkovich was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American, adding that Washington was “pushing hard for Evan’s release and will continue to do so.”
Gershkovich’s employer called it a “disgraceful, sham conviction” and vowed to continue to press for his release.
The conviction comes after Gershkovich spent 478 days in detention away from his family and friends and prevented from reporting, “all for doing his job as a journalist,” Dow Jones CEO and Wall Street Journal Publisher Almar Latour and Editor in Chief Emma Tucker said in a statement.
The European Union also slammed the lenghy prison sentence, describing it as a political gambit to “punish journalism.”
European Parliament chief Roberta Metsola said Gershkovich had been the victim of a “sham trial.”
“The 16-year prison sentence against WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich is the antithesis of justice,” he said.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Russia uses its politicized legal system to punish journalism, condemned the sentence, and called for his release.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to answer a journalist’s question about the reasons for the expedited process of the court’s decision, saying that he cannot comment on such a situation. He added that Gershkovich’s trial is being held behind closed doors because of the “sensitivity of the case.”
Some analysts said the move to expedite the case could be a sign that talks are heating up between Moscow and Washington on a possible prisoner exchange.
When asked in Moscow on July 19 about the talks on a possible prisoner swap involving Gershkovich, Peskov refused to comment.
The trial, which started on June 26, was held behind closed doors in the Sverdlovsk regional court in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg after being moved forward from August 13 at the request of the defense team.
Gershkovich was arrested in Yekaterinburg on March 29, 2023, while he was on a reporting trip and was subsequently charged with attempting to obtain information about a factory that manufactures tanks for Russia’s war in Ukraine and pass it on to the CIA. He is the first U.S. journalist arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War.
U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel on July 18 did not comment on possible negotiations on a prisoner exchange, but said Washington was seeking the release of Gershkovich and another imprisoned U.S. citizen, former Marine Paul Whelan, as soon as possible.
“The timeline of the trial and what route that takes does not have a bearing and has no impact on the urgency that the United States has…. We want both of them home immediately and we’ll continue to work in this area until they’re reunited with their loved ones,” Patel said.
He said no U.S. Embassy representative was able to attend the July 18 session due to short notice.
Russia has complained about U.S. media reports on a possible swap involving Gershkovich. Speaking on July 17 at the United Nations in New York, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov again raised this reporting, blaming “the Americans” for publicly bringing up a possible exchange, which he said “isn’t helping.”
Meanwhile in the USA
Mark Sleboda: Putin and China Just Put U.S. Military on HIGH ALERT and War is Coming to Eurasia
Citrus-Cherry Pork and Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 8 ounces mostaccioli, rigatoni or penne, cooked and drained
- 1 cup broccoli florets, steamed
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork cubes and onion; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until pork is nicely browned and onion is tender; set aside.
- Make dressing by shaking together orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and orange zest in a small jar with tight-fitting lid.
- In a large serving bowl, toss together the pork and onion, pasta, broccoli, cherries and walnuts with the dressing.
- Serve immediately.
Deranged Minds
Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a thrilling adventure of a special agent who is harboring a paranormal secret.… view prompt
Agnes Sharan
The sound of her heels echoed through the narrow corridor, the path taking longer than it usually would. Small doors, barely able to fit a child dotted the sides of the walls, holding in them some of the world’s most deranged minds. She could feel the guards patrolling shudder as they walked by, something in the air making their skin crawl. It’s the thought, she had long before concluded, of sharing the same breath of the supposed good and bad guys. Almost as if they’d catch the same madness that had possessed these beings to commit the heinous crimes they did. Only if they knew the truth like she did: madness isn’t an infection to be caught, it is a disease that slowly breeds within.
The corridor had finally ended, the words ‘Isolation Unit’ staring back at her. It’s been a long time since she interrogated a criminal alone, something she sought to ensure never happened again after that day. But there she stood, sweaty palms, racing heart, mind a jumble of voices within, and her task lay just behind the heavily fortified door.
The lone light in the room shone upon a mop of black hair, bent across the table in such weariness, stoop in his back pronounced by the bones that seemed to just protrude beneath his skin. At the sound of her footsteps, he lifted his head slowly from the table.
He’s just a kid.
She’d ignored her voice, albeit with a bit of a struggle for she too couldn’t deny the facts staring at her face. His eyes held an innocence that she didn’t want to acknowledge as she sat down on the chair opposite him. They were quiet and a thought flitted her mind.
It is almost as though we are in the jungle, her the predator and him the prey.
She shook her head at that, knowing probably who it came from. The silence encouraged them, so she needed to start talking.
“Hello Evan. I am Agent Keller. How are you feeling today?”
He stared blankly at her, almost as if he couldn’t hear the words.
Maybe he is innocent?
She wanted to scream at the voice to just shut up. “I am sorry about the cold. If you’d like me to, I could get someone to get something warm for you down here.” She looked at him, her eyes silently beckoning him to give her something to work with.
Pathetic.
She wouldn’t rise to the jabs, she knew how this worked. She had it under control. She could do her job.
Could you now? How can you when you can’t even silence the voices in your head?
He was quiet, almost eerily so. She wasn’t even sure he was breathing for he barely moved since she got there. She needed him to get talking and soon. Otherwise she’d have to resort to the final measure, and her self restraint was already thin from how long it has been since she had done away with one.
There was really nothing to hold her back as he was sentenced to die and she’d gotten the green light to carry it out if she must. But she wanted him to show her something to prove his innocence or guilt, something to do away with guilt when she takes the information she needs. But his silence was making a hard argument against her patience. Maybe her approach was all wrong. It wasn’t her job to know the truth, simply to find out what he knows. If he was down here, he was guilty. It was simple as that.
Not always though, is it? Isn’t that why you are hesitant?
She wished she could shut them up. Or atleast talk back to them. But it was like a one way channel ever since she discovered the voices in her head weren’t imaginary. They talked and they talked and she had no choice but to listen. It was like a 24/7 radio station, all those evil deeds swirling around her head. She assured herself they were better as voices in her head than hands and feet on the streets. That way their crimes were only a replay in her mind. Their lives and every heinous act just memories in her head, ones she just couldn’t silence. Or so she told herself. But some days she found herself etching to go out at night, her hands twitching in some perverse need to sin, before she roped back in whatever voice had tried to take over her body. But she was just a container, a container who was soon becoming full and in her darkest nightmares, she kept playing the day she would finally lose control and every one of those acts would taint her skin.
“It is such a delightful temptation, isn’t it?”
She almost thought it was one of the voices in her head, but the timbre of it was unlike any she’d heard before. That was when she shook from her reverie and eyed the man before her. His eyes were blank as ever and his lips were still, but the echo of the words from the walls told her they were his.
“What?”
There was a glint in his eyes now, one she hadn’t caught previously. He nodded towards her, his head tilting slightly towards the ceiling.
“The memories. All that darkness, all of their emotions when they performed those acts, their enjoyment in it. Makes you wonder what drove them, makes you want to find out, your own fingers want to betray you to do them, don’t they?”
For the first time in a long time, she felt a shiver down her spine. Who is this guy? How did- How did he know about the voices in her head? Was he- was he-
“Like you? I suppose you can say I am the closest you will find to someone like you.”
Her heart was racing. Someone who knew her secret. This was bad, this would compromise her whole life if it gets out. Maybe- Maybe she could just for this once-
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Agent Keller.” His voice was cold, still, as though it had no remorse in it. “Wouldn’t you want to know more about us?”
I sat back in the seat with a deep breath. “Why would I want to do that? I already know what I am.”
He seemed to be laughing at her. “Do you now? You know what you are capable of. Reading minds is a trick as old as time, some would say, you don’t need voices in your head for that one. But you, you are special, aren’t you? You don’t just read them do you?” He leaned forward, and despite the space between them, it felt like his words were crawling on her skin. “You consume them, all those deranged minds that probably gazed this room.” He chuckled, “Your officers were probably too scared to come down here with you, too scared to see the depths of their own depravity, but you and I, we live for the darkness. We thrive in it.”
That’s when I stopped him. “NO! I am nothing like you! I don’t enjoy whatever deranged pleasure it is that you all seem to enjoy!”
He sat straighter, quiet for a while, before he spoke. “So you say,” his words measured, “but your hands are dirty too. You killed an innocent. Her voice is right next to the others talking to you as we speak.”
Don’t listen to him.
He continued, “That’s what you are most afraid of now isn’t it? You’ve had a taste of the blood that wasn’t yours to take and now you want more of it.” The voices in her head agreed. She could feel it in her bones, her fingers etching to replicate some of their memories. Such dark temptations, beckoning her to try and find out just how deliciously pleasurable the wrong thing feels like.
He’s manipulating you. He is inside your head. Push him away. Push them all away.
It felt like a pressure in her head, As though it was overflowing with people. She pushed her mind trying to tune out his words even as he kept speaking.
Push.
Push.
PUSH!
She had her eyes clenched shut so she didn’t see him writhing in pain, his head in his hands as though he was in pain. When it was over she opened her eyes.
The voices were gone. All but for one.
You did it.
OnlyFans is Being Shut Down
China stuff
All talks of stopping China (Taiwan, SCS, mid-range mi9ssiles in Philippine, etc.) are just cost-free bluffs (or so they think to be cost free. They’ll pay a cost, take my words for it!). The best the war hawks of the Empire hope for is the gullibility of Taiwanese/Vietnamese/Philippinos, et al) of falling for the narrative, under the lingering impression that the Empire is still numero uno and would deliver bloody noses on China in ultimately coming to their aid, and make the kind of fatal errors the Ukies are now suffering from. The Empire itself has enough brain to keep score on where things stand. The farthest thing on their mind is to fight China in East/Southeast Asia. They know that today, unlike as late as 15 years ago, that they stand NO CHANCE of even delivering enough damages on China to make their casualties worthwhile, let alone delivering bloody noses.
They are aware of the certainty of being kicked out of Asia COMPLETELY if China confrontation comes to blows. As such, they would pull in their vassal when they see things getting to blows. Meanwhile, pumping chest like Tarzan do win votes and keep their politicians in offices at home, and this kind of meaningless PR will continue for a while until China says enough is enough. That won’t be too far into the future–like within 5 years. It will happen as China finds excuses to strangle Taiwan/Philippine economically and taunt the Empire to put their words into actions. That’s when the paper tiger whimpers away, tails between the legs.
Posted by: Oriental Voice | Jul 17 2024 22:20 utc | 112
WOW he was FEELING ALL OF THAT! | Joe Cocker – With a Little Help From My Friends [REACTION]
Is boxing “street effective”?
Yes, extremely.
I know because I was beaten to a pulp by a boxer that looked like Napoleon Dynamite.
To describe myself, I do not consider myself an easy target. I am 5 ft 9 tall and weighed about 210 at the time. Not tall, but I wrestled and fenced through college, and I never once ended up lying on the ground after a fight.
This Napoleon Dynamite guy looked about 6 ft tall, but there was no way he weighed more than 160 lbs.
I thought I could take the guy without much effort but boy…boxers are different. I learned that the hard way. Here are things I learned fighting (getting beat up by) a trained boxer.
- They move differently. Street fights are usually one-dimensional, you either approach the guy or move away from the guy, but boxers moves are three-dimensional, they know it is easier to punch a fella from the side. Also, even when they are stationary, boxers will use their waist, back, and legs to throw or avoid a punch.
- Their punches are efficient. Boxers do not throw a haymaker like a regular Joe, in a fight. Boxers’ punches serve various purposes, to keep a distance, to confuse(bait) the opponent etc.
- They can fight for a long time. As you all know, fighting a dude is extremely exhausting, you will run out of your breath quickly, and you will feel your fists weighing like bowling balls after a minute or so into the fight. But boxers know how to pace themselves, and have better stamina.
While realizing all this, I lost track of time, and senses. All I heard was people yelling “World Starrrr” as I was lying on the street.
Never fight a boxer unless you really really have to.
Microsoft Just FIRED Its Entire Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team
Have you ever been surprised by an inheritance?
Very much so. As a kid, I was my dad’s personal punching bag with me having several broken bones and waking up in the hospital numerous times. My mom would sic him on me for the slightest thing but her main form of torture was to tell me how I ruined their lives by being born and how their lives were so much better before I invaded their lives.
I moved out of the house the day after my high school graduation, I was 17 1/2 at the time, and didn’t see or hear of or from them ever again. Until about three years later. I was contacted by an attorney who informed me that my parents had died in an auto accident several months before. Since I was their only kid and they didn’t have a will or trust, he was calling to tell me that I was suddenly a very rich man.
My initial instinct was to refuse the money, but I figured what sweet, ironic justice it would be, to accept it. I’m sure they would have been horrified that I got everything. I took the money and placed it in an account and aside from using a small portion of it for some medical expenses I had shortly thereafter, I never touched it for several years.
I had/have a very good job that provides me with a very good income so I never needed the money, but eventually, after talking to a therapist about it, decided the best thing I could do with it, was to spend it. Every year, I donate the interest that has accrued to a couple of charities, spend some on things for my wife and myself, and keep my own will up to date.
It has provided me with the security to know that really, if something were to ever happen to my wife or myself or possibly a good friend, anything could be taken care of without any worrying. I could have easily retired at that point or just sponged off my newfound wealth, and while I didn’t, it has helped quiet my otherwise overactive brain.
G7 & G20 About To Cry As Burkina Faso, Mali, & Niger Decide To Join BRICS!
What is the worst way you’ve seen someone lie?
There was a priest in our little town, who was a very handsome man. The type of man that never should have been a priest, in retrospect. Charming, great features and with a deep and booming voice that made many a girl feel funny…
He failed to hold up his vow of celibacy, falling in love with a choir girl. He was a young priest, she was young too, but it wasn’t something pedo-ish, they’re both of age. Anyway, they tried to keep their affair a secret, but the girl… got pregnant.
Big scandal! The priest, however, was such a beloved figure, nobody really wanted to get rid of him… however, two of the most conservative families wanted him out, by any means necessary…
So they told their two beautiful, teenaged daughters, to try and seduce the priest. He said no, I can’t, you are too young and I am in love with the choir singer… Hell, he even wanted to leave the priesthood already, and focus on being a Father without a capital F!
The two girls changed tactics… they gave each other hickeys on their necks, and came out the next day, claiming the priest “violated them in their sleep” and raped them… the hickeys were all their proof…
Our priest had an alibi, having played chess into the night with two friends, and having gone to bed with the singer after. He was a good man, a genuinely good man…, but he was accused of being a rapist. And even without any evidence, the accusation itself proved fatal… he lost his sponsors, his allies, most of his friends, and the town turned against him…
In the end, he could not even see the choir singer anymore, he could not see the son she later gave birth to. They moved far away, and the priest had his entire life ruined by the accusation…
It was the most blatant lie I’ve ever seen told, and it ruined an innocent man’s life. The girls never faced the consequences of their lie, but the priest surely did. It damn-near killed him. It’s why I don’t always believe the accuser by default, and it’s also why I am vehemently opposed to celibacy as an institution. And it’s how I came to understand that even the Catholic abuse scandal, horrible as it may be, has a lot of layers to it and in today’s day and age, a lot of innocent lives are also ruined by careless accusations.
Keanu Charles Reeves missed the first 20 minutes of the party dedicated to the end of filming of his new film in one of the clubs in New York.
He waited patiently in the rain to be let in.
No one recognized him.
The club owner said: “I didn’t even know Keanu was standing in the rain waiting to be let in – he didn’t say anything to anyone.”
“He travels by public transport”.
“He easily communicates with homeless people on the street and helps them”.
He is only 56 years old (September 2, 1964)
- He can just eat a hot dog in the park, sitting between ordinary people.
- After filming one of the “Matrix”, he gave all the stuntmen a new motorcycle – in recognition of their skill.
- He gave up most of the fee for the salaries of costume designers and computer scientists who draw special effects in “The Matrix” – decided that their share of participation in the budget of the film was underestimated.
- He reduced his fee in the film The Devil’s Advocate” to have enough money to invite Al Pacino.
- Almost at the same time his best friend died; his girlfriend lost a child and soon died in a car accident, and his sister fell ill with leukemia. Keanu did not break: he donated $ 5 million to the clinic that treated his sister, refused to shoot (to be with her), and created the Leukemia Foundation, donating significant sums from each fee for the film.
You can be born a man, but to remain one…
First Time Hearing Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine
Why do Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese people feel uncomfortable when their culture is compared to China, a long-standing brilliant civilization? On the contrary, Europeans are proud to be compared to the ancient Greeks and Romans. What happened?
If someone points to an old beggar near your home and says, hey, that’s your godfather, he gave you everything.
You will be angry and think it’s insulting.
If someone points to a billionaire and says, hey, that’s your godfather, he gave you everything
You will smile and say, yes, he is a kind person, I am proud to have such a godfather.
Admiration for the strong is a common human trait
The countries surrounding China are obviously influenced by China culturally, and China has been their godfather for thousands of years. But in the past 200 years, China has been in decline. China is like the old beggar, although he gave them everything, but because of his state in the past 100 years, he is hated. Even after decades of rapid development, China’s per capita economic level is still lower than countries like Japan and South Korea.
Let’s assume that China is now at its peak in history, such as the Tang Empire, the Ming Empire, and the Han Empire. China’s wealth and strength may account for 60% of the world
What will the attitude of neighboring countries towards China be?
In short, their historical performance is like you who are watching the billionaire.
Similarly, the reason why ancient Greece and Rome are respected by Europeans is that they no longer exist, which means that you can always fictionalize them as the most powerful millionaires and ignore their terrible appearance. They worship Greece with its brilliant culture, not the conquered and enslaved Greece. They worship Caesar’s ancient Rome, not the Rome destroyed by the Germans.
This is human nature that is easy to understand.
Stand up
Last year my son was suspended. 3 boys corned him and were bullying him he kept is cool and attempted to walk away.
One blocked his path. At that point one shit stain said 2 sentences that changed my son’s life. “I’m glad your mom’s in a wheelchair.
And I hope one of her seizures kills her.” See our families already known loss. April will be 11yrs since my daughter and his sister passed away.
She was 14m old. So hearing this boy say he hoped I died was too much for my son.
He turned to the leader and punched him right in the nose. To the school it didn’t matter what they had said.
The school district suspended my son cause he made it physically. So I took him out for ice cream. There comes a time when words do count and do cross the line.
I support my son’s decision to finally say enough.
He knows he can’t hit someone and not have consequences. But he also knows that there are going to be times in his life that he’s going to have to stand up for what is right.
And I’ll support him when he does.
Luvrov Nails Bidens Dangerous illusions ECOWAS and NATO wars and destablization
What was enough for you to stand up and leave?
I was accused of raping somebody. So were all of the other men I was with.
Several years ago, my previous employer (before Home Depot) arranged a seminar on the topic of gender relations in response to our charged political climate. They either didn’t vet the guest speaker — who was apparently most likely a radical feminist — or somehow agreed that it was appropriate to begin her speech with:
Ladies, you have been raped, and men, you have raped someone.
Many of us, both men and women, were so shocked that we just left.
Feminism is a big deal. I support the fair treatment of all people regardless of their gender. I acknowledge that women face unique challenges that should be culled.
I also admit that I have faults. I am crass and find entertainment in inappropriate stuff. I enjoyed the Harold and Kumar movies, and those movies are racist and sexist as fuck. I am flirtatious and downright perverted sometimes.
But I have respect for people. I recognize a difference between real vitriolic discrimination and absurd caricatures in an obvious work of fiction. I know when actual people are being marginalized and accosted, and I respond with the appropriate amount of outrage when I see it.
I have had one female friend explain to me that I can get away with saying certain things that another person might not because I am able to present them in a disarming and comedic manner. It makes me feel good that women who I know have described me as harmless to other people. Once, I overheard one of my closer female coworkers explain to another about the nature of our relationship (which apparently must have appeared to be a romantic to an outside observer) that “he knows where my boundaries are, and he has never crossed them.”
I’ve made mistakes. I’ve misinterpreted what I thought were cues or signals from women. I’ve told jokes that some audiences didn’t find funny.
But to equate anything I’ve ever done to rape is outrageous, and people who equate those things to rape ought to be fucking ashamed of themselves.
What is the coolest line a pilot has said to the passengers?
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them going again. I trust you are not in too much distress.
It was a routine flight, but British Airways Flight 9 was about to become one of the most dramatic incidents in aviation history. On 24 June 1982, the Boeing 747-200 was cruising at 37,000 feet, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Perth, when it flew into a cloud of volcanic ash.
Suddenly, all four engines flamed out, leaving the pilots with no power and no thrust. The passengers, who had been dozing and watching in-flight movies just moments before, were now jolted awake by the sound of silence.
The pilots tried everything to restart the engines, but nothing worked. Meanwhile, the plane was rapidly losing altitude, and the temperature inside the cabin was plummeting. The situation was desperate, and the pilots knew that they had to act fast.
With remarkable calmness and professionalism, they immediately diverted to Jakarta, hoping to glide past the mountains in Indonesia and make a “crash landing” safely. For 23 tense minutes, the plane glided through the volcanic ash cloud, buffeted by turbulence and with no power. It was a nightmare scenario.
But then, miraculously, the pilots managed to restart all four engines, and the plane landed safely in Jakarta. None of the 268 passengers and crew were lost. The incident became known as the Jakarta incident, and it remains one of the most astonishing stories of aviation survival.
After the incident, extensive research was done on the effects of volcanic ash on airplane engines. The incident led to new protocols and procedures for pilots and airlines to follow when encountering volcanic ash, which ultimately improved aviation safety.
She Regrets Asking for His Assets 30 Days After Getting Married
What is the most jaw-dropping method for shoplifting that you have seen?
I worked as a cashier at Wal-Mart for six soul-sucking months during my freshman year of college.
Shoplifting is an incredibly common occurrence, and most of the time, it involved a teenager snatching things from the shelves and getting escorted off the premises by a manager.
However, there was one method of shoplifting that was actually impressive (you know, in a criminal type of way).
A pregnant woman would come in late at night, intending to purchase a stroller for her unborn child. She would ask the Wal-Mart greeter which direction the baby supplies were and have a bit of chit-chat about the upcoming birth. Her male accomplice would breeze past toward the electronics department. This part is important and comes into play later on.
The pregnant lady would make her way to the baby aisle and find a stroller. If you aren’t familiar, they come in pretty large boxes. At some point, she would meet up with her accomplice, remove the stroller from the box, and fill the box with CDs, DVDs, laptops, and various electronic devices worth thousands of dollars.
Then they would go to the self-checkout where the woman would purchase the stroller (the box filled with electronics), and the man would buy a $10 CD.
When the duo walked past the security alarm, the loot of electronics triggered it. The helpless pregnant lady would smile at her door greeter friend, and shrug her shoulders while the man would hold up his CD and his receipt and blame himself for triggering the alarm.
Usually, it is policy to check the merchandise of customers near the exit when an alarm is triggered. However, because the greeter was familiar with the pregnant woman at that point, he would simply wave her on and wish her well.
Talk about elaborate.
The pair ended up stealing thousands upon thousands of dollars at various stores before finally being apprehended.
The kicker? She wasn’t even pregnant!
The human experience
What’s the worst thing about the current society?
An American man named Jeronimo Guerra was fixing his wife’s car in the first week of June, 2024, when it collapsed on top of him. Pinned beneath the vehicle, Guerra yelled for help… none came. Several bystanders saw he was in distress and simply went on their way. One man went to Guerra and, rather than helping him, reached into the pockets of the man’s jeans and took out his wallet, stealing it.
Jeronimo’s daughter came to collect her father and found him dead and robbed. No one had come to his aid, no one had alerted authorities, and by the time she reached him, the weight of the car had crushed and killed him. Guerra was only 57. He leaved behind a son, a daughter and two young grandchildren who will now never get to know their grandfather. There’s something intensely cynical about life, when the first thing people think when they encounter a man fighting for his life isn’t the urge to save his life… but to rob him, instead.
The worst thing about our society? People are heartless, and callous. They mind their own business, and only make your business theirs when there’s profit in it for them. There are still good people in this world, sure — but if you’re ever in trouble and none of those good people are around, you’d be shocked by the amount of bystanders who would simply let you perish and go on their merry way, ignoring your plight or even robbing you as you struggle for breath.
Why is China’s modernization important for the world?
The most important principle in the world is mutual respect. In international relations, the common values that people around the world want is about equality and promoting peace and development. Not using the West as the only model and standard of superiority to define progress, we strive to let people share a broader vision, a way of looking at things through the pursuit of wisdom and common development methods.
From the perspective of the global governance landscape, maintaining stability is an urgent need and a common goal. The strong stability that China has maintained in the process of modernization itself is an important contribution to global development. Global development faces huge contradictions of imbalance. The practical exploration of eliminating uneven development from within China provides a reference for improving global governance.
Chinese-style modernization is a path of common development and will bring huge opportunities for common development.
Chinese-style modernization highlights the concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature and has achieved remarkable results. China is developing rapidly in new energy technologies and should promote more technology export and application cooperation.
The world’s civilizations are diverse, and each country has different national conditions. There is more than one path to modernization, and Chinese-style modernization has opened up a brand-new path. The East and the West should adopt a more inclusive attitude, focus on the future, respect each other, strengthen communication and coordination, and work together to build modern human civilization.
Chinese-style modernization not only follows the general laws of modernization but is more in line with the reality in China and has its own characteristics. It is based on its own national conditions and draws on the experience of other countries. It not only inherits history and culture, but also integrates modern civilization. It not only benefits the Chinese people, but also promotes the common development of the world. It is not only the broad road to building a strong country and national rejuvenation, but also the only way for China to seek human progress and world harmony.
Chinese-style modernization has opened up a new path for modernization development and created a new form of human civilization. With its successful practice and theoretical innovation based on practice, it has provided a new model for countries and nations in the world that hope to both accelerate development and maintain their independence. The choice has provided useful inspiration and experience for developing countries to independently explore their own unique paths to modernization based on their own national conditions.
There you have it why China’s modernization is important for the world.
Why are some developed countries only able to spray Chinese people on the Internet, but dare not directly launch a war against China, why are they so cowardly?
They follow “from position of strength” and they are in the process of understanding “who has strength”.
They are like this egret, testing the edge of the waves.
1. War ability
The United States does not have the capacity to go to war with China, and the politicians in Washington have not yet realized this.
The U.S. flaunts its military prowess to China without realizing that China’s industrial capacity has far surpassed that of the United States.
Industrial capacity is important for war because you have to produce ammunition, missiles, and countless drones.
With such a huge gap in industrial capacity, it would be extremely dangerous for the United States to go to war with China.
2. Fighting Will
If the Chinese offer a peace proposal, you better say yes or their people will be happier than you.
The MAOA-L gene was once called the “warrior” gene. People with this gene are more likely to enter a state of rage (euphoria) when seeing red blood.
According to a report by Lea and Chambers, the carrier rate of the Chinese is 77% (samples from Taiwan Province. If samples were collected in mainland China, the proportion of this gene is estimated to be higher), the carrier rate of the Caucasian race (broadly defined as white people) is 34%, the carrier rate of Hispanics is 29%, and the carrier rate of African Americans is 59%.
War involves a lot of trickery and deception.
No nation in the world is better at fighting than the Chinese nation.
Precisely because the Chinese are good at fighting and understand the destructive power of war that they hate war.
According to a Swiss statistical agency, from BC to 1800, the total length of global wars was astonishing, with a total of 14,513 wars.
During this long history, China had 3,500 recorded wars, accounting for 1/4 of the world’s wars.
3. War strategy
There are 10 famous books on military tactics in ancient China.
- The Art of War (孙子兵法)
- Sun Bin’s Art of War（孙膑兵法）
- Wuzi’s Art of War（吴子）
- Six Secret Teachings（六韬）
- Wei Liaozi’s Art of War（尉缭子）
- Sima’s Art of War（司马法）
- Taibai Yinjing explanation（太白阴经）
- Hu qiɑn jing（虎钤经）
- Jixiao Xinshu（纪效新书）
- Military training records（练兵实纪）
- Thirty-Six Stratagems （三十六计）
Thirty-Six Stratagems
The Thirty-Six Stratagems is a Chinese essay used to illustrate a series of stratagems used in politics, war, and civil interaction. Its focus on the use of cunning and deception both on the battlefield and in court have drawn comparisons to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.
- Chapter 1: Winning Stratagems (勝戰計, Shèng zhàn jì)
- Deceive the heavens to cross the sea (瞞天過海, Mán tiān guò hǎi)
- Besiege Wèi to rescue Zhào (圍魏救趙, Wéi Wèi jiù Zhào)
- Kill with a borrowed knife (借刀殺人, Jiè dāo shā rén)
- Wait at leisure while the enemy labors (以逸待勞, Yǐ yì dài láo)
- Loot a burning house (趁火打劫, Chèn huǒ dǎ jié)
- Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west (聲東擊西, Shēng dōng jī xī)
- Chapter 2: Enemy Dealing Stratagems (敵戰計, Dí zhàn jì)
- Create something from nothing (無中生有, Wú zhōng shēng yǒu)
- Openly repair the gallery roads, but sneak through the passage of Chencang (明修棧道，暗渡陳倉, Míng xiū zhàn dào, àn dù Chéncāng)
- Watch the fires burning across the river (隔岸觀火, Gé àn guān huǒ)
- Hide a knife behind a smile (笑裏藏刀, Xiào lǐ cáng dāo)
- Sacrifice the plum tree to preserve the peach tree (李代桃僵, Lǐ dài táo jiāng)
- Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat (順手牽羊, Shùn shǒu qiān yáng)
- Chapter 3: Attacking Stratagems (攻戰計, Gōng zhàn jì)
- Stomp the grass to scare the snake (打草驚蛇, Dǎ cǎo jīng shé)
- Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul (借屍還魂, Jiè shī huán hún)
- Lure the tiger off its mountain lair (調虎離山, Diào hǔ lí shān)
- In order to capture, one must let loose (欲擒故縱, Yù qín gù zòng)
- Tossing out a brick to get a jade gem (拋磚引玉, Pāo zhuān yǐn yù)
- Defeat the enemy by capturing their chief (擒賊擒王, Qín zéi qín wáng)
- Chapter 4: Chaos Stratagems (混戰計, Hùnzhàn jì)
- Remove the firewood from under the pot (釜底抽薪, Fǔ dǐ chōu xīn)
- Disturb the water and catch a fish (渾水摸魚／混水摸魚, Hùn shuǐ mō yú)
- Slough off the cicada’s golden shell (金蟬脱殼, Jīn chán tuō qiào)
- Shut the door to catch the thief (關門捉賊, Guān mén zhuō zéi)
- Befriend a distant state and strike a neighbouring one (遠交近攻, Yuǎn jiāo jìn gōng)
- Obtain safe passage to conquer the State of Guo (假途伐虢, Jiǎ tú fá Guó)
- Chapter 5: Proximate Stratagems (並戰計, Bìng zhàn jì)
- Replace the beams with rotten timbers (偷梁換柱, Tōu liáng huàn zhù)
- Point at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree (指桑罵槐, Zhǐ sāng mà huái)
- Feign madness but keep your balance (假痴不癲, Jiǎ chī bù diān)
- Remove the ladder when the enemy has ascended to the roof (上屋抽梯, Shàng wū chōu tī)
- Decorate the tree with false blossoms (樹上開花, Shù shàng kāi huā)
- Make the host and the guest exchange roles (反客為主, Fǎn kè wéi zhǔ)
- Chapter 6: Desperate Stratagems (敗戰計, Bài zhàn jì)
- The beauty trap (Honeypot) (美人計, Měi rén jì)
- The empty fort strategy (空城計, Kōng chéng jì)
- Let the enemy’s own spy sow discord in the enemy camp (反間計, Fǎn jiàn jì)
- Inflict injury on oneself to win the enemy’s trust (苦肉計, Kǔ ròu jì)
- Chain stratagems (連環計, Lián huán jì)
- If all else fails, retreat (走為上策, Zǒu wéi shàng cè)
How significant is the US approval of a $360M sale of drones and missiles to Taiwan in the current geopolitical context?
About as significant as a $360 million sale of drones and missiles to Mexico would be.
It’s just the DPP using the US MICC to transfer money to themselves. In other words, corruption.
The number of armored vehicles including tanks destroyed by the Russians in Ukraine number in the thousands. The number of artillery destroyed also number over one thousand.
Ukraine has lost most of of their aircraft. Over 100 of them.
China has literally thousands of fighters. Just the 3rd gen fighters alone like the Mig-19 and Mig-21 number 5,000. 3,000 are being converted to drones. And they started several years ago. Chinese MLRS number in the hundreds. They have MLRS that can reach Taiwan.
In other words, China doesn’t need fighters, drones, helicopters, missiles, or cruise missiles to get rid of every single piece of military equipment in Taiwan. Just pull up 50 batteries of MLRS which consist of 6 launcher vehicles with 8 guided rockets each. They have a range of 280km. Which covers all of Taiwan.
if you do a little bit of math. You will find that that 50 * 6 * 8 which equals 2,400 guided rockets. Does Taiwan even have that many military targets?
Also it takes 15 minutes to reload. So in 1 hour, China can fire 5 salvos. That’s 12,000 rockets.
The US only has 50 patriot batteries. Which totals 1,500 missiles. And it is SOP to fire 2 missile per incoming missile to guarantee a hit. That is the ENTIRE continental United States has 50 batteries in total. Each battery consist of 32 missiles on multiple trucks.
The DPP just bought 2 more patriot batteries to protect Taipei. But really the DPP. Taipei already had 2 patriot batteries. So that is a total of 4 patriot batteries when the other 2 are delivered. 4 * 32 is 128 missiles. It can intercept 64 incoming missiles.
Now how to account for 11,936 rockets? Even the US doesn’t have enough to shoot them all down.
China brings a whole new dimension to warfare. This is why the US and NATO keep screaming at China to NOT sell weapons to Russia. If China enters the war in Ukraine just by selling weapons, Ukraine would be toast inside of a week.
Chinese drones number in the thousands. Each can carry at least 8 air to ground missiles. This doesn’t count the 3rd gen fighters converted to drones.
So you tell me how significant the US sale is? It would take literally hundreds of years of sales every single year to even make the Chinese notice.
Dating women made me understand men
Surprisingly good.
Our Hands
Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a sweeping romantic tale of two lovers who must overcome the horror of being hunted by an unseen foe.… view prompt
Jess Wood
Until our clock stopped ticking.
The Mystery of the 1903 Photograph is Shocking! What You See Gives You Goosebumps
What’s a red flag that you ignored in a significant other, only to realize it was a big deal later?
He evaded questions about his country of origin.
For 2.5 years, I dated a wonderful guy named Igor, who was a pale red-headed bodybuilder (this is important later).
At first, he tried to be all mysterious, not wanting to tell me what country he was from originally. When other coworkers asked, he liked to tell them all different countries.
He would claim Poland, because he had learned Polish after coming to the U.S.
He would say Russia, and other various countries formerly part of the Soviet Union, because after all his name was Igor, and he had a hint of an accent when it came to pronouncing w’s (Vich I thought vus vonderful).
He had originally told me Russia, which I accepted because most of the evidence pointed towards that. He later told me that although he was from Russia, his family was actually Jewish but did not practice other than refusing to eat pork, and rarely disclosed it ever since World War 2.
It was only after his sudden, unexpected death that I got into his phone in order to contact his estranged family and discovered that although Igor did live in Russia for years as a young adult, he was actually born and raised in… Pakistan, which is 99% Muslim! (I believe he told me he was Jewish to explain why he didn’t eat pork and because he knew that as a Christian, I had respect for Judaism.)
He had distanced himself from his family due to their abusiveness, at least on his father’s part. He had moved to Russia, adopted a Russian name, had his skin permanently lightened (which also turned his black hair into red), and became a bodybuilder as a defense mechanism to make him feel invulnerable to abuse.
It was an emotional rollercoaster to slowly discover and piece together the truth after his death… I initially didn’t know whether to be mad at Igor for lying to me, and was constantly wondering what else was going to turn out to be a lie.
In the end, I mourned the wonderful man who had a past so horrible that he tried his best to leave it all behind. He treated me lovingly like a queen- and that part of him was 100% real.
“Assassinating Trump was the 3rd step in their plan” Roger Stone reveals deep state plot | Redacted
Why are Western pledges to counter China’s BRI and develop infrastructure in developing countries seemingly lackluster?
G7 is similar to a lot of video game companies, in that they are great at generating hype, but terrible at keeping their promises.
Just look at the promises they made in last year’s joint communique
- provide one billion doses of COVID vaccines by the end of 2022 -> far behind schedule
- create the appropriate frameworks to strengthen collective defenses against threats to global health; shorten the cycle for the development of vaccines, treatments and tests to 100 days -> progress is nowhere in sight
- a timely, transparent, expert-led, science-based WHO-convened Phase 2 COVID-19 Origins study -> not happening
- commit to net zero no later than 2050 -> Europe is burning coal once again
- reinvigorate their economies by advancing recovery plans that build on the $12 trillion of support put in place during the pandemic -> highest inflation in 40 years
It’s like Joe Biden’s dementia is contagious or something. Say what you will about the Chinese, at least when we make a promise, we follow through. At least we have something that resembles a plan. We’re doers, not talkers.
And if that’s not good enough for you, feel free to reject the Chinese offer – you won’t be toppled by a coup or colour revolution for turning down the Chinese.
All this talk of “countering China’s Belt and Road” is nothing but a photo-op. A sweet little lie that will be forgotten within a year.
Have you ever lost any respect for someone instantly?
My second pregnancy was tough on me, a few months after I had the baby my body still didn’t fully recover.
One day, I asked my ex if he could look after the children while I went to the supermarket to buy baby’s milk.
It was too hard for me to walk to the shops with a 3-year-old while pushing a pram. I left the house thinking he’ll take good care of our children until I’m back.
Less than 5 minutes after leaving, I saw him drive past me alone. I felt this deep fear inside me and turned around.
I went back home, the baby was asleep in the bedroom but my 3-year-old was nowhere to be found. I ran back outside, shouting her name and crying.
I started walking down the streets when I finally saw her, she was half naked and a middle-aged lady was holding her by the hand.
She explained that she saw her walking alone on the streets, I thanked her and went back inside.
I’ll never forget that day because I thought I lost my oldest child forever. I fed my baby expired milk because my body wasn’t well enough to walk to the shop to buy new milk and I lied to the police when they asked why my daughter was running around half naked on the streets.
My ex left the house because it was time for him to go to work even though he’s self-employed and I told him I was going to buy milk for the baby.
Why didn’t he offer to go instead if he was in such hurry to go to work, what decent man will leave his own children alone in the house and be okay with his baby drinking expired milk?
I instantly lost respect for him that day, he values work and money over his own family. I never forgave him for it.
Rigatoni with Tomatoes and Artichokes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups uncooked rigatoni
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried basil or 3 tablespoons fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Rinse and drain.
- In a large serving bowl, combine remaining ingredients except Parmesan cheese. Toss with cooked rigatoni.
- Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top to serve.
Which Hollywood actor had the worst luck?
Brendan Fraser
During the filming of The Mummy in 1999, something went wrong with a stunt. The rope actually almost ended up strangling actor Brendan Fraser. The movie almost cost him his life. As much of shooting took place in the desert, Fraser and other actors had to consume a special liquid every two hours so as not to die from dehydration.
Over the course of his career, Fraser performed many of his own stunts. And in doing so, he sustained horrific injuries. The actor had hundreds of contusions, a partial knee replacement, and his vocal cords needed to be repaired, among many surgeries. Fraser also had to do a laminectomy, in which a portion or all of the patient’s vertebra bone is removed. This helps ease pressure on the spinal cord or the nerve roots. The operation was botched, however, and had to be repeated again the next year, causing the actor further suffering.
His wife then divorced him. But by the time she did, his income had dried up as his injuries had made his career as an action star nearly impossible.
Still, a California judge ordered Fraser to support his wife with an insanely high alimony, based not on what he did make but on what he used to make…
… also, the Californian judge ordered that he could no longer be a father.
So, Fraser lost custody of his children.
In 2003, a powerful Hollywood director groped Brendan Fraser. The assault traumatized him and after threatening to speak out… he was all-but blacklisted in the business. This further compromised his already struggling career. For years, Fraser struggled. He was depressed, in physical pain, and he gained a lot of weight. His posture was terrible, his back injuries literally caused him to lose height, and emotionally and mentally he was in turmoil.
Then, in 2022, Brendan Fraser starred in The Whale. And he won an Oscar for his role. It was a beautiful comeback, precisely because of how awful his life had been for the fifteen or so years prior to his glorious win. Because before 2023 turned things around for him… this guy really had the worst luck.
Why do some Presidents not get re-elected the second time around? They got elected once, they can get elected again, no?
When a President wants to be re-elected to office, the one thing he needs to do is project strength. Perception and optics are everything. In 1992 George Bush senior attended a state dinner with Japanese prime minister Kiichi Miyazawa. Bush had been feeling a little under the weather recently, and his personal physician had warned him to skip or postpone the event.
Bush would have none of it — aged 68, he wanted to come across vibrand and strong. And he had to. Because the guy he was running against was 46-year-old Bill Clinton. Clinton, Arkansas governor, saxophone player, cigar-smoking womanizer. Younger than him. Stronger than him.More energetic. Bush absolutely had to come across strong, too. So he “manned up” and attended anyway. Only to throw up all over Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa.
And then pass out in Miyazawa’s lap…
Needless to say, Bush lost the 1992 elections. Bill Clinton stayed in the White House for the next eight years. In politics, perception is everything. The moment sharks in the water smell even a whiff of blood, you’re done for. And politicians are nothing but human-shaped sharks in suits.