Pachinko and a dying mothers wishes

Although I would be 65 years old at my company at the end of July, I came to the conclusion at the beginning of that year that I was tired of corporate life and wanted to have a little freedom. I did my calculations and told the CEO of my wish to bring forward my retirement by four months, which he agreed to.

Before the day of my retirement I wrote some 80 emails to the fellows to the colleagues with whom he had had a more personal and professional relationship. Each email consisted of two parts. The first one was generic, saying that I was going to leave the company by reason of my retirement and that I would be delighted receiving him/her to have a glass of wine in my office in a time frame of 11:30 to 13:00. The second part of the email was specific for each person. There I was evoking details of our collaboration and the nice times we had working together.

People came steadily to my place where I had prepared bottles of nice wine, plastic cups and some plates full of Jamón Ibérico (Iberian Ham) and an excellent cheese. You know a Spaniard cannot resist a good portion of “pata negra” ham.

Everything was nice and smooth. When the last one left, I packed everything carefully and went home. Two days earlier the CEO had invited me to a farewell lunch with other executives.

I never came back to the company. I have seen that once you are retired from an organization, your presence is no longer appreciated there. I have noticed this previously with other retirees who came see us. Suddenly former fellows think “This one is not one of us”. A kind of basic tribal feeling.

Sorry Mr. Sullivan, But You Just Got China So Wrong

As Jake Sullivan visited China, the 5-million-following Chinese scholar Shen Yi was initially reluctant to comment: “I don’t see the point in discussing an entire U.S. policymaking circle that is only daydreaming.” Well, he did write a commentary at the end.
August 30, 2024
Professor of International Relations at Fudan University

On August 27, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan arrived in Beijing, kicking off a three-day visit to China. On the first day, he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. To be honest, I’m not too eager to comment on Sullivan’s visit, as it involves assessing the strategic relationship between China and the U.S., which can induce a rather anxious mindset.

Today’s United States feels as though it’s caught between a state of semi-autism and half-dreaming, with a worldview that seems to say, “I don’t care what you think, only what I think.” As for everything else? Just BACK OFF. Dealing with the U.S. today inevitably leads to a profound sense of helplessness and frustration.

To put it bluntly, the U.S. decision-making elite, especially their foreign strategy team, is not normal in its cognition. Chas W. Freeman Jr. described it as self-anesthetization and self-hypnosis. I would say it’s a deep pathology.

This pathology permeates from the inside out, and it’s not just directed at China; it’s their attitude toward the entire world. However, only China refuses to buy into it, and their distortion of China is stronger than in other areas. China is increasingly able to view the U.S. from an equal footing and recognize this abnormality. It’s like the famous fairy tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” where the two con men weave invisible clothes while other countries pretend to follow America’s lead in running around naked.

So, what’s Sullivan’s purpose for visiting China? As depicted in the British sitcom “Yes, Prime Minister”, whenever Western governments officially deny any link between two matters through an anonymous official, the reality is often the opposite. Sullivan’s purpose is clear: the Democratic Party needs China’s support in the 2024 U.S. presidential election to help them defeat Trump.

First, the U.S. needs China to convey to the outside world that Biden’s foreign policy is impressive, his financial policies are solid, and his China strategy is effective. Therefore, Biden is a good president, and now he’s passing the torch to Harris, making her a good president too—so everyone should vote for her.

Second, they are laying the groundwork for significant economic policy moves in September. The U.S. economy currently relies on opening and closing the floodgates—too much water? Shut them. Too little water? Open them. Other than that, they can’t produce anything substantive. Their industrial policies, manufacturing reshoring, and infrastructure development are merely a joke. The entire U.S. is caught in a massive bubble. Therefore, they need to lower interest rates, and the cut may be larger than expected. However, if China doesn’t cooperate in macroeconomic, financial, and fiscal support, the U.S. could be in serious trouble. Thus, the U.S. is asking for China’s help.

Unfortunately, the U.S. political scene is currently dominated by the notion that the States is number one and invincible, and forever. The Democrats claim that everything has been fine, and only the Republicans, infected by the “Trump virus,” think otherwise. They insist that closing one’s eyes and repeating that America is the best will make it so, and thus there’s no need to make concessions to China. America has already given China face by coming to Beijing with polite requests, and China should feel honored and bow in gratitude.

And the Republicans are even worse than their colleagues across the aisle, believing the entire world should “pay tribute” to the U.S., feeling honored to be exploited by America. Talk of negotiation? You just don’t deserve it.

This leads to the current stalemate, where America expects China to make “selfless contributions” and even feel good about it. It’s as if America slapped your right cheek, and you’re supposed to offer your left cheek and kindly ask if America’s hand hurts. America demands that China willingly accept sanctions, not speak out, not retaliate, and not bring up Taiwan. They want to do whatever they want, assuring you that Taiwan won’t be “allowed” to pursue so-called legal independence, and that’s enough, you should be grateful. How dare you confront the Philippines in the South China Sea? The Philippines is America’s little brother. And as for Russia, you should just kill it off like we say.

Sullivan is the National Security Advisor to the U.S. President, but this is not a public office. He’s appointed by the president, not requiring Senate approval. He’s just an advisor who serves the president, similar to an imperial envoy in ancient China.

Sullivan and our Foreign Minister Wang Yi have interacted before. Yet despite spending a year trying to understand China, the U.S. still hasn’t corrected its understanding. Or to be blunt, the entire U.S. diplomatic team, from President Biden downwards, is in a collective state of daydreaming, living in a fancy world in their brains.

What makes America so awkward, leaving people feeling helpless and bewildered, is that despite their lack of capability, their dreams are more beautiful than ever before.

This state is best embodied by Harris’s campaign platform: You lack it, I’ll give it to you. You don’t like this, I’ll change it to what you want. The costs and methods don’t matter; just say Harris’s name, and your dreams will come true. This is a surreal moment in the history of Western international relations and a manifestation of the decline of Western civilization, as Oswald Spengler predicted.

Sullivan’s visit is doomed to be a fruitless attempt by the U.S. to gain concessions from China without offering anything in return. The goal is to secure practical commitments from China to maximize Harris’s chances in the election, all without guaranteeing future commitments. It’s highly likely that once they win, they’ll kick down the ladder because the Republicans will certainly be tough the U.S.-China strategy as always. For China, this presents a significant challenge.

Ultimately, what matters is strength. China is special, it’s a rising power with significant emerging market characteristics. This isn’t modesty; it’s the objective reality. Yet, China is increasingly able to view America from a level playing field, adopting a calm attitude toward U.S. relations.

Economically, China certainly faces challenges, but so does the entire world, entering a long-term downturn and macroeconomic stagnation. Among major nations, China’s economic performance, in terms of overall indices, is undoubtedly the best.

For example, if America’s macroeconomic data is as good as they claim, then I’ve got three questions waiting for answers:

First, where do so many of Trump’s supporters come from?

If the incumbent claims they have managed the economy well and the American public buys it, Harris wouldn’t meet a strong opposition challenger like Trump. Unlike China, where people may voice concerns about the economy through various analyses, the U.S. claims everything is going great, while Americans themselves often say they have no idea how this supposed prosperity relates to their daily lives. If things are so great, then why the need for interest rate cuts?

Second, why was non-farm employment revised downward by 810,000 jobs from April last year to March this year?

During this period, the U.S. claimed to have created 2.9 million jobs, but the revision erased 30% of these jobs. This conveniently creates a scenario where the Federal Reserve must cut interest rates. If the economy was truly strong, shouldn’t employment be robust as well?

These employment figures imply that the U.S. requires rate cuts to stimulate the economy to the necessary degree. In this context, China should be confident in recognizing that the U.S. is seeking help from China. In this strategic game initiated by the U.S., China has no obligation to comply. China’s effort should be put on a more constructive strategy toward U.S.-China relations.

This constructive strategy must include one essential component: when the U.S. acts out of line and disrupts the stability of U.S.-China relations, and the relationship is not developing on a healthy track, China must punish and correct the U.S. This is an inevitable path.

Third, what has been the real outcome of U.S. initiatives such as the CHIPS Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan?

How many charging stations have been built? How many new railways, roads, and bridges have been constructed? What kind of impact has this had on the U.S. economy? How are the new chip factories progressing? What is the output of these new chip plants? How many computing power centers have been built in the U.S. using advanced computing chips? How many companies are applying large-scale models in ways that are truly creating value and driving productivity growth in the U.S.?

After reflecting on these three questions, we can form a more balanced understanding of the U.S.-China strategic competition. In this new framework, we have reason to believe that China does not need to make concessions to the U.S.

We should also have a broader perspective on Sullivan’s visit or the ongoing strategic dialogue between China and the U.S. Now, China should act more like a patient teacher educating a stubborn student, guiding the next step of America by a combination of words and actions.

China aims to safeguard its national interests while maintaining a healthy and dynamic balance in U.S.-China relations. This is not the unilateral responsibility of one side. Achieving this benefits both sides, and a framework of “tit for tat” and “word for word, action for action” will gradually form, becoming the general trend of future development.

Sullivan arrived and stepped off the plane with no red carpet, only a clearly marked red line on the ground. Even if there’s no carpet now, he doesn’t mind; he still came. Last time, when Blinken visited Shanghai, he was left on his own, but he didn’t mind. Why? Because he doesn’t have the stature to act that way, nor does he have the leverage to make so many demands. Everyone is discussing matters pragmatically—regardless of China’s attitude, they still have to sit down and talk seriously. This marks a subtle shift in the dynamics.

In this phase of asymmetric and uneven power growth and transition, recognizing and understanding these details is essential for fully comprehending and managing U.S.-China relations.

Shorpy

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Don’t read if you don’t want to take the red pill.

Humans could never be allowed to rule in a democracy.

In the documentary called “The Century Of The Self”, you explore how today’s society came up to be and how human nature was shaped during this process.

Sigmund Freud (Austrian neurologist) believed that humans are irrational beings, dominated by fears and desires which lurked in their subconscious mind. You could never allow such irrational creatures to be in charge of a democratic system.

Edward Bernays — Freud’s nephew who lived in the USA—soon realized the potential of Freud’s insights and swiftly put them into practice assisting Woodrow Wilson in convincing the American public that by joining WW1 the US would be helping bring democracy to Europe. Given the success of this wartime propaganda Bernays then looked to its implementation during peacetime.

Having seen how effective propaganda could be during war, Bernays wondered whether it might prove equally useful during peacetime.

Yet propaganda had acquired a somewhat pejorative connotation (which would be further magnified during World War II), so Bernays promoted the term “public relations.”

Drawing on the insights of his Uncle Sigmund – a relationship Bernays was always quick to mention – he developed an approach he dubbed “the engineering of consent.” He provided leaders the means to “control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it.” To do so, it was necessary to appeal not to the rational part of the mind, but the unconscious.

Bernays knew he had to build a social system in which the masses were not allowed to rule. He had to give them the illusion of a democracy.

From his seminal work of 1928, Propaganda, comes this chilling quote –

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in a democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, and our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of…. It is they who pull the wires that control the public mind.

The Nazis implemented the same concepts as Bernays, but they abandoned altogether the illusion of a democracy. They chose instead a straightforward approach: the energy of the masses should be channeled into a united force that would maintain the nation glued together.

Bernays’ plan was to transform the masses into passive consumers.

As long as people’s hidden desires were satisfied and exponentially multiplied, the Government could keep on doing whatever it saw fit.

Through this transformation, people became obedient workers of a society that spoon-fed them the illusion of democracy and well-being.

One of the greatest stunts Edward Bernays has ever pulled off was when he got American women to smoke—an unprecedented event in USA’s history.

You see, Bernays had to go beyond the obvious.

Cigarettes were thought of as a male products. No one thought a woman would smoke. And then he realized—he didn’t have to use logic to make women smoke. Bernays paid a group of women to go on a smoking march. He subtly spread rumors to journalists about the upcoming march.

And so it happened.

Dozens of women marched on the streets carrying “torches of freedom”.

Yes—cigarettes had become a symbol of freedom.

The news spread like a wildfire throughout the USA thanks to Bernays’ rumors.

It resonated so well with the masses because they associated cigarettes with freedom—one of the USA’s long-lasting values. By appealing to their emotional side, women started to smoke.

Bernays achieved his mission and the tobacco industry grew larger as their profit now had increased tenfold due to the gigantic success of Bernays’ campaign.

From one success to another, Bernays hired countless psychologists to analyze the behavior of people and better understand how they could satisfy their irrational desires.

Socialism failed where capitalism thrived.

The communists tried to suppress these subconscious, irrational forces hidden within the humans.

It always failed.

The Americans had to find a better tactic to prevent the masses from revolting against the government in times of peace.

During the war, all governments used this chance to channel human’s primitive forces and turn them into mindless killing machines. But you could not do the same in times of peace.

The consumer society of today is a society built on lies and deceit.

We have practically been trained to seek more and more goods that are not a necessity in itself but rather a means to satisfy our constant wants.

I invite you to watch the documentary on Youtube for the full experience and a complete understanding of the situation.

Here is the link to the documentary: The Century Of The Self.

Further reading: The manipulation of the American mind: Edward Bernays and the birth of public relations

Christmas Eggnog Cherry Nut Loaf

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Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 1/4 cups eggnog
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 1/2 cup chopped red or green maraschino cherries

Instructions

  1. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt.
  2. Mix egg, eggnog and oil. Stir in dry ingredients, mixing well.
  3. Fold in nuts and cherries after they have been coated with flour.
  4. Pour into greased and floured 8 x 4 inch loaf pans.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes or until tests done.
  6. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans.

“Back in the day” wages were livable, employers looked after their employees, and the cost of everything was within reach for the working class. Inflation and interest rates were more than manageable as well. They were doing well. Fast forward to the mid to late 80s and interest rates had skyrocketed. Fast forward to around 2005 and real estate prices went through the roof. Around 1995–2000 people could still buy a house in Toronto for $200–325,000. Today, that same house can easily exceed $1M. Interest rates in 1996–1999 were about 5.7% for a mortgage, and around 1985 they were easily in the 22–28% range. Now add the cost of a home and even with a 5.7% interest rate most people cannot afford the monthly mortgage payments due to the cost of the home alone.

So you have to do some simple research using your desktop computer, laptop, tablet or cell phone to compare prices of many items from around 1955, 1970, 1985, 2010, and then 2023/2024 to see what’s happened to everything to see why they were so much ahead back then.

The MoA Week In Review – OT 2024-219

Ukraine:

War with Russia:

Election:

Palestine:


Other issues:

Empire:

Boeing:

China:

Use as open (not related to the wars in Ukraine and Palestine) thread …

Posted by b on September 15, 2024 at 12:59 UTC | Permalink

In 1956, Howard Hughes began producing an epic fresco centered on the character of Genghis Khan.

The film was called The Conqueror and it would become one of the worst flops in history, notably because of the casting of John Wayne in the lead role, more credible in the role of the cowboy than the Mongol emperor…

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main qimg 2a17ac62ead6db3d0ca43288f1bfc1f7 lq

To recreate the Mongolian steppes, Howard Hughes decided to film in the state of Utah. He chose a site near the town of St. George.

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main qimg bd6893d3babfec5cff840cdecc4a59ff lq

The problem is that this place is quite close to Yucca Flat, the area in Nevada where nuclear tests were carried out a few years earlier (11 atomic bombs were detonated as part of the Operation Upshot-Knothole program).

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The film will be shot 220 km from the test location, which may seem far away in absolute terms, but the filming site is constantly swept by winds that come from Nevada.

Radioactive dust is present throughout the area…

Aware of the potential risk, Howard Hughes asked the government about the danger of filming there. He was assured that there was no risk.

So filming is moving forward. For 13 weeks, a crew of 220 people will spend their days on location. They are filming mainly in the Snow Canyon, a natural canyon, known today for retaining radioactive dust for a long time in its winding folds.

Once filming was completed, Howard Hughes also had 60 tons of dirt transported from St. George to Hollywood so that the ground in the remaining studio shots would match the exteriors.

In doing so, and without knowing it, he exposes his team even more to radioactive dust…

The impact of this filming on the health of the crew members would only be discovered years later.

Over the next 25 years, 91 of the 220 people who worked on the film would develop cancer. That’s 41%.

And 46 people would die, including actors John Wayne (72, lung, throat and stomach cancer), Susan Hayward (56, breast, uterine and brain cancer), Lee Van Cleef (throat cancer), Agnes Moorehead (uterine cancer) and director Dick Powell (53, lymph cancer).

Of course, not all of these cancers can be attributed to filming in a contaminated area, but since it has been calculated that the rate of cancers affecting the crew was three times higher than the national average, it is difficult not to see a link.

Furthermore, a study conducted in the 1970s in St. George determined that cancer victims were 5 times higher in that city than in other places in the state that were not in the path of the winds coming from Nevada…

A law was also passed in 1990 to compensate victims of cancer in the region, recognized as being linked to nuclear testing.

Interesting buildings and constructions

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Well, I am on disability and took full advantage of being able to own a home. There are a few loopholes I have sometimes needed to take advantage of!

First off, my taxes started out being $935 a year. I could do that and paid in full. In 2020, the city raised me to $1,040. Well, okay-just don’t do that again. In 2021, a school levvy passed, and it went up another $250. Good grief no-now I CAN’T do that amidst rampant inflation! I reluctantly turned in my application for exemption for 2022 taxes in spite of maybe being able to do extreme pinching for it. Turned out to be a wise choice, because all of our taxes DOUBLED last year! Meanwhile due to inflation, I watched my taxes be slashed further this year, and now it is under $300. I did not ASK for such a significant reduction. AITA for taking advantage of it and not volunteering to pay more???

One legal way to maintain my home is to go take out a HEL or HELOC and aquire debt to fix things, as a “spend down” in assets. Oh THEN I am definitely incredibly impoverished! And of course, I put my home at risk! I choose not to, in spite of it reducing my income down to Medicaid limits.

Another legal way to save without losing benefits is to get a required ABLE account. However, it is a private company, NOT free, and only managed electronically. The total fees charged can be up to $300 a year, with a $33 annual maintenence fee, $25.00 to get a debit card that has a $2.50 a month fee, $20.00 transaction fees, $15.00 transfer fees, and the list goes on. That is pretty excessive!

There is an annual “gift” exemption. Anyone can “gift” me up to $2,000 a year, and so long as it is quickly spent on qualifying expenses, this is legal. My family goes ahead and takes advantage of it, of course! They can also “gift” me a free maintenence project, which they have done twice as well.

In order to keep my Medicaid, I can only have $2,000 in assets (excluding belongings, one house, one car) so I liquidate all savings down to $0 periodically. It is never much at a time. I take advantage of a “because it is unfair” clause with regard to that, because whatever cash I may have above that, goes into home maintenance-a qualifying “spend down” expense nowadays thank goodness! This leaves nothing available for medical expenses because homes need roughly $6,000 a year in maintenance and insurance. All of the savings is gone then. Poof!

This is legal according to the FEDS, and NOT legal according to State. I DID lose my state Medicaid, but due to a tiny loophole in my particular YEAR and TYPE of disability (known as DAC), “we may be able to help you get it back”. In other words, I am grandfathered in all the way back to 1990, when laws were WAY different. As a result of losing my Medicaid, my healthcare costs often suddenly shoot up hundreds a month, bringing my income down. Because income limits today are more strict than they were in 1990, I can get Medicaid’s “Extra Help”, in spite of being inelligible according to 2024. I exploit this loophole whenever necessary 100 percent. AITA for doing so??

(For everybody’s information, I am inelligible for ALL other assistance programs, even if I become homeless. I cannot get help with food, utilities, phone, housing or internet-all things offered to other low income individuals. I am fine trying to square it all, though I can only afford one meal a day or every other day.)

Another loophole is that I CAN work part-time for a period of six months without losing anything. I can earn about $1,000 a month and be okay, so I work for six months at a time about every other year. Though I lose Medicaid at the time, that’s fair, in spite of it all going to food, auto maintenance, and clothes. This is how I have been able to make it for the last 20 years. A few small loopholes I take full advantage of when necessary.

Ultimately, I try to pay for as much as I can, going without things I consider “luxuries”, such as entertainment, vacations, eating out, cosmetics, manicures, fancy hairstyles, and extra clothing, jewelry and accessories. However, these few loopholes are sometimes necessary to exploit to the fullest, especially since Social Security’s COLA did NOT keep up with the significant inflation over the last five years, leaving us all to somehow “swallow” it all. For example, I received about a $280 increase since 2020, and that was all taken up by my insurance alone last year, and will now rise annually indefinitely, when it previously did NOT. This leaves $0 for the $250 increase in monthly food costs. By the time all is said and done, the house gobbled up every last penny, so in spite of getting over $2,000 a month, I am broke by week three. Loopholes, please!

One day while I was working at a fast food joint, this lady left her Louis Vuitton bag on a table. I waited about 20 minutes but remember seeing her leave and so I grabbed it and put it in lost and found (literally a box we had in the back) I never once looked inside.

My boss said, since you found it, if no one turns up for it in a month you can have it. I gleamed but really thought about a lady leaving something so valuable behind. Of course she’ll be back!

A month went by. Not even so much as a call happened. My boss said, “hey, it’s been a month…do you want that bag?” I said sure and went in the back to retrieve it. I unzipped the top and to my surprise nothing was in it but a piece of paper.

I opened up the piece of paper and it was a receipt for the bag. On the receipt was a note saying: “To the girl who needed a new purse during the holidays.” Whoever this lady was intended on doing this in the first place. I looked at the receipt….$1700 for this bag!? I carefully put my items in it and took it home and didn’t say another word about it. People still to this day think it’s a good fake. If only they knew! (At that time I was only making 9 bucks an hour…no way I’d be able to afford this bag easily)

Edit: I just want to add as some of you asked why I didn’t just sell it and get the money instead? I still lived with my parents at that time and that purse made me look good at a ton of job interviews lol I’d pull out my portfolio and resume from that bag and I landed a job that not only gave me salary to pay for one or two but for four at a time. I still keep the bag because it reminds me of humbling days when I didn’t have much and reminds me to give back to others. Not saying I’m saving the world by any means, but I stick to a low budget because of that bag. I could easily go back to those days and that bag reminds me of that.

Perry Terrell

Elephant In The Room Shaped Like A Monkey

By Perry Terrell

 

“You suck.”

“Lauren!” yelled Jared. “For lack of a better term?” He thought she was joking.

“There is no better term. You just plain suck.”

“Why?” Jared asked.

“Why? Why? Why, you ask? I see that monkey. I know it’s dark in this space ship, but I see that monkey. I thought since the two of us won this mission, it would be a great chance for us to be close and really get to know each other. But you brought a monkey along? Why would you do that? Why?”

Jared looked puzzled. He was almost dazed and confused by Lauren’s outburst and attitude.

“Suppose I want to kiss you and wind up kissing that monkey.”

“Well, she has lips too.” He laughed so hard. He couldn’t see what the problem was with the monkey. Also, he still thought she was joking.

“She? She? It’s a she?” Lauren was screaming.

Jared was making frowning faces but Lauren couldn’t see his expressions because of the darkness.

For a moment there was silence.

Lauren went to the window and raised the shade. They were already on the moon and all she could see were Lunar Craters. Hundreds and thousands of them.

“I want to go home,” she said.

“Ahhh, we’re on the moon, Lauren. We have data to gather and pictures to take. Besides, you could have brought a pet.” Jared was trying to comfort her. He was saying to himself that this was going to be a real long mission if she keeps this up.

“Well, my horse was in the shop and I couldn’t get him out in time for this trip.”

For a moment Jared thought she was going to join him in a little humor. He went over to her by the window and put his arms around her waist.

“Monkey, monkey, monkey,” she started yelling. “Get your monkey away from me.”

Jared threw his hands up and back away. He said to himself again, yep, this is going to be a very long and painful mission.

Meanwhile, the monkey was kicked back trying to see what she could see, mostly listening.

Jared went over to his monkey and patted her on the head.

“How did you get that monkey on this ship? I didn’t see you with a monkey packed with your things.”

“The Captain put the monkey on the ship for me.” Immediately after he said, “for me,” he regretted it. He should have made it seem like the Captain did it as a part of the mission.

“So, it is your monkey,” said Lauren.

“The monkey is a part of the mission.”

“By doing what exactly? You do know that three is a crowd.”

“Lauren, please. Let’s just do our job and get along. The monkey is not a problem.”

Lauren had romantic feelings for Jared. She was good friends with the moderator and had her manipulate the drawing to have the two of them paired up to take this mission together. There were a couple other candidates qualified to take this mission and gather the necessary data, but by the luck of the draw, she was paired with Jared.

But with that monkey in the room, she had regrets. Although, she did fancy herself as romantically persuasive, she decided to ignore the monkey and try and concentrate on Jared. Besides, they were going to be stuck in this space ship on the moon for 27.3 earth days or there abouts.

In her astronaut training, she think she read that if a person stays in one place on the moon, then the sun rises, stays up for about two earth weeks, then set, and stays down for about another two earth weeks. Then that makes a complete day on the moon which lasts as long as 27.3 earth days, or something like that. She was almost sure she remembered the correct calculations.

“OMG!” said Lauren. “This monkey is going to start stinking. I’m not going to try and clean her up.”

“Okay, Lauren,” she said to herself. “Get a grip. Ignore the monkey in the room. Twenty-seven point three days alone, well almost alone with Jared is going to be a good thing. At least the monkey won’t be talking.”

Lauren took a few deep breaths and composed herself the best she could. Then she started feeling around and trying to see Jared. She couldn’t find him, so she called out.

“Where are you, Jared?” Then she thought that he better not be hugging that monkey. She didn’t mention the monkey as she was trying to make peace.

Jared wanted out of this trip too, but it was so very much too late and only the first day.

“I’m over here getting the cameras in place. We need to take the videos and digital snapshots.”

Lauren couldn’t help herself. She said, “snapshots and videos of what? Selfies with you and your monkey?”

“You are a brat, Lauren.”

“You are calling me a brat?”

“Yeah, I call ‘em as I see ‘em.”

“Well see this.” The monkey handed her a banana peel and she threw it across the ship.

“You know, I never wanted to go out with you, Lauren.”

“But you did. Why? Was your monkey busy that night?”

“Well, why did you accept?

“I took one look at you, Jared, and you looked like an idiot looking for his keys under a street lamp because that was where the light was. And I said to myself, he can’t be that pathetic. He is an astronaut afterall. You see, I have a weakness for the underdog.

“Oh, you flatter me.” In his mind he called her a witch and a few other things.

“You are like a non-drowsy sleeping pill and a crash landing all rolled up in one, Lauren Dear.”

“Wait. Are you calling me an oxymoron?”

“Well at least you are not an idiot, yet. But you do have more beans inside you than a burrito.”

Lauren realized she was not accomplishing what she had set out to do which was to keep Jared in her life. She felt that she was getting to know him alright. But, so far, they were not getting closer.

She thought it over in her mind. We need to call a truce. I suppose I should jump to it first.

“Truce, truce, truce,” she kept saying.

Jared took a deep breath.

“A truce? That works for me.”

Jared started feeling and looking around for Lauren, slipped on the banana peel and landed on top of her.

She put her arms around him and was thinking to herself that Jared’s monkey might not be too bad to have along after all.

Jared knew where the banana peel came from and was thinking the same thing.

“This is going to be a great mission, Lauren felt good to say.

“Yes, Dear, it’s going to be great waking up every morning and not feel like I’m in the middle of the freeway.

Lauren wanted to react to that remark, but she let it go and kept holding Jared in her arms.

Cajun Deep-Fried Turkey

Deep-frying is the trendy way to cook turkey in record time! Deep-frying makes for exceptionally juicy meat and crispy skin, too!

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Yield: 20 servings

Ingredients

Cajun Spice Rub

  • 2 tablespoons black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground chipotle chiles or ground red pepper (cayenne)
  • 1 tablespoon white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Cajun Marinade

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Turkey

  • 1 whole turkey (10 to 12 pounds), thawed if frozen
  • 1 poultry or meat injector
  • 1 turkey deep-fryer, consisting of 40- to 60-quart pot with basket, burner and propane tank
  • 5 gallons peanut, canola or safflower oil

Instructions

  1. Read the Turkey Deep-Frying Do’s and Don’ts (below).
  2. In small bowl, mix all spice rub ingredients until blended; set aside.
  3. In shallow glass or plastic bowl, mix all marinade ingredients until salt is dissolved; set aside.
  4. Remove giblets and neck from turkey; rinse turkey well with cold water; pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Take extra care to dry both inside cavities, because water added to hot oil can cause excessive bubbling. To allow for good oil circulation through the cavity, do not tie legs together. Cut off wing tips and tail because they can get caught in the fryer basket. Place turkey in large pan.
  5. Rub inside and outside of turkey with spice rub. Inject marinade into turkey, following directions that came with injector. Cover turkey in pan; place in refrigerator at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
  6. Place outdoor gas burner on level dirt or grassy area. Add oil to cooking pot until about 2/3 full. Clip deep-fry thermometer to edge of pot. At medium-high setting, heat oil to 375 degrees F. (May take 20 to 40 minutes depending on outside temperature, wind and weather conditions.) Place turkey, neck end down, on basket or rack. When deep-fry thermometer reaches 375 degrees F, slowly lower turkey into hot oil. Level of oil will rise due to frothing caused by moisture from turkey but will stabilize in about 1 minute.
  7. Immediately check oil temperature; increase flame so oil temperature is maintained at 350 degrees F. If temperature drops to 340 degrees F or below, oil will begin to seep into turkey.
  8. Fry turkey about 3 to 4 minutes per pound, or about 35 to 42 minutes for 10- to 12-pound turkey. Stay with fryer at all times because heat may need to be regulated throughout frying.
  9. At minimum frying time, carefully remove turkey to check for doneness. A meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast should read 170 degrees F. If inserted into thigh, it should read 180 degrees F. If necessary, return turkey to oil and continue cooking. When turkey is done, let drain a few minutes.
  10. Remove turkey from rack; place on serving platter. Cover with foil; let stand 20 minutes for easier carving.

Notes

Success:

For best results when deep-frying, use cooking oils that can withstand high temperatures. Peanut, canola and safflower oils are at the top of the list!

Turkey Deep-Frying Do’s and Don’ts

We want your turkey-frying experience to be successful, especially if it’s your first time, so we’ve gathered these important reminders. Please take a moment to read them before getting ready for a great-tasting feast!

Do’s:

  • Follow the use-and-care directions for your deep-fryer when deep-frying turkey, and review all safety tips.
  • Place the fryer on a level dirt or grassy area away from the house or garage. Never fry a turkey indoors, including in a garage or any other structure attached to a building.
  • Use only oils with high smoke points, such as peanut, canola or safflower oil.
  • Wear old shoes that you can slip out of easily and long pants just in case you do spill some oil on you.
  • Immediately wash hands, utensils, equipment and surfaces that have come in contact with the raw turkey.
  • Have a fire extinguisher nearby for added safety.
  • Serve the turkey right after cooking, and store leftovers in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking.
  • Allow the oil to cool completely before disposing of it or storing it.

Don’ts

  • Never fry on wooden decks or other structures that could catch fire, and don’t fry on concrete, which could be stained by the oil.
  • Never leave the hot oil unattended, and do not allow children or pets near the cooking area.

To learn more about deep-frying turkeys, visit National Turkey Federation – eatturkey.com.

Nutrition

Per serving: Calories 335 (Calories from Fat 190 ); Total Fat 21 g (Saturated Fat 5 g); Cholesterol 100 mg; Sodium 800 mg; Total Carbohydrate 0g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 36 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 10

Exchanges: 5 Lean Meat; 1 Fat

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: Betty Crocker

A close online friend of mine suffers from schizophrenia. And believe me when I tell you, this man and his condition are very real. Just a year ago he was “talking to angels” and had “otherworldy deities” giving him quests, divine tasks and missions to go on. The Goddess Freyja spoke to him and assigned him with a list of things he had to do. Once, in Romania, he heard an ethereal voice telling him a nearby lake was a portal to another world — he stripped naked, right there and then, and jumped into the ice cold water. It was the middle of winter.

This man is 35 years old and not in touch with his parents — he hates them and blames them on his predicament. In fact he is short because, in his mind, the medication they put him on stunted his growth. His short height causes him to be overlooked by society, women in particular.

He’s schizophrenic with a dash of incel-ism, too. An unfortunate connection. Not too long ago he got it into his mind that the United States government had screwed up his life. Why this is, he did not specify.

He declared he, therefore, has no loyalty towards Washington and “must join the Russian army in Moscow”… In his world fairies are real. Reptillian creatures hide underneath the skin of government leaders. Everyone is in cahoots with everyone. Enemies lurk everywhere.

For the last two years, each time I speak to this man he has been a little lesser than the week before. When he’s on his meds, he’s stable, thinks of himself “cured”. Then the moment he thinks this, he goes off them. And ruins again every relationship and friendship he has. I’m the last man standing among his friends. Every time we speak I wonder — will there be another?

Samuel L. Jackson In THE SURVIVORS – English Movie | Hollywood Action Movie In English |John Cusack

This is a GREAT movie. It really is. I always loved John Cusack and this is jsut a special kind of zombie movie.