I want to relate a story.
The time was in the late 1980’s into the early 1990’s. I was living in Kokomo, Indiana and during that period of time there was a space of airline crashes. All seemingly unrelated. But within a short span of time, three plane crashed. All within my part of the country.
To make matters worse, I had to make a lot of plane flights. I was averaging two to three trips a week.
I was nervous, but still 99% of the planes were just fine.
So I’m on this plane and we hear this loud sound like a piece of metal dragging against something moving. Then a pop and the cabin starts to stink with this ozone oily smell.
The seat-belt sign goes on, and the stewardess tells everyone to get into their seat and put on their seat belts.
Other than that, the flight was fine for a while. Then the masks drop down from above, and the stewardess says that this was just a precaution. So I was breathing oxygen for a while after I tugged on the tube.
As we neared the airport we hit some chop and the plane started to shudder and vibrate pretty badly. The stewardess told us to get into a “brace for impact” position. With hands over our heads and heads between our legs, and told us to make note of the exits.
Oh, yeah. We landed fine.
And it wasn’t until the ride home that I realized what much have occurred. Then, that entire evening my mind raced and raced with thoughts of “what if”.
Yeah. What if…?
Crazy life.
I am really starting to see our reality as something akin to how AI generates sentences, pictures or movies. And this goes a long, long way towards explaining some of the strange and bizarre things that people see. In our movie collection today, we have some of these films crazy stuff. Please watch those movies. WTF is right!
Like this… When you watch the video pay attention to the microphone position.
Or this…
Truly WTF?
And this crazy crazy microphone switcherooo…. the microphone teleports into her hand when it is in front of her tummy.
A thing…
Today, have a great day you all…
How has America been asleep at the wheel on China’s rare Earth threat?
The American has underestimated China and the Chinese in everything until today. They think, China would cower to US threats, and trade war would be won easily. The New China has a different mentality from the Old China. During these years, China and its people has undergone rigorous tests to become their present state. The Chinese has experienced various sufferrings, revolution, famine, wars, natural disasters etc. The US today is confronting a confident, militant, smart, dauntless China. Especially Trump and his advisers still think of a weak and coward China of the Qing dynasty. Some Americans also (amazingly) underestimate Chinese capabilities in Science and Technology. They always think that the Chinese can only copy or steal US technology. and unable to innovate or invent on their own. This we can read from their comments on China’s achievements. Conceit brings defeat.
Things are batshit in the USA
Which is the most pleasant/unpleasant country to visit in your opinion?
Azerbaijan. I spent precisely 3 hours in Azerbaijan on the Mongol Rally.
You can go any route you want but Azerbaijan seemed interesting and we had visas pre-prepared to cross Azerbaijan. The original plan was Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazahkstan, Russia and Mongolia. We had visas.
In short MEGA corruption.
The border guards ignored us until they were paid bribes. And we were given forms each requiring bribes.
So we went between 5 huts each time entering for a stamp a bribe had to be paid.
We got across the border 2 minutes later a cop car comes, stops us inspects our passports and demands bribes to get them back.
My co-driver as dumb enough to only have one passport. So he had to pay up. He had one of my other passports (not the one with the visa in it). After we were let go ANOTHER police car stops us.
They too demand our passports. We say no. The police open the back of our car and start loading our stuff into their car and demand bribes to get it back.
Yet again co-driver pays the bribe.
I get into the drivers seat. I see cop motion for us to stop. I go off road around him and ignore him, he doesn’t follow. The first village we go to? Oh petrol is super cheap. We fill up. We’re charged 10 times more. As we’re arguing kids open our car and are pocketing our things. I had my spare batteries for my cameras stolen here.
Co-driver takes some photos. And loads of people surround us, you need to pay to take photos! I’m at the point where a tyre iron is in my hand now. We pay the petrol station who demands MORE money even above his inflated prices. Get into the car and get our back windows smashed in.
We drive to the edge of the town and stop. I turn to him and say do you want to continue to Baku as it’s been a bit shit so far. He says no fucken way and we turn round to go to the border and end up waiting for 4 hours as both of us refuse to pay any bribes.
I’d never return to such a corrupt country everybody is corrupt and on the take.
Insanely Strange Things Caught On Live TV….
Odd…wtf..wtf…
Very Serious Russian Point-of-View
“Russia will have to withdraw nuclear weapons from the United States”
Timofey Sergeitsev writes op/ed columns for the major Russian language media outlet Ria Novosti and is described thusly in one bio:
Methodologist, philosopher, member of Rossiya Segodnya’s Zinoviev Club, co-founder of the Archive of the Moscow Methodological Club Foundation, research adviser of the Zinoviev International Research and Education Centre at the Department of Global Processes, Moscow State University.
This is the Zinoviev Club’s self-described description:
Zinovyev Club is a platform for expertise and analysis, created by the Zinovyev Biographical Institute together with the Rossiya Segodnya News Agency. The club is named after Alexander Zinovyev, a prominent Russian philosopher and sociologist. He spent 21 years in forced emigration before returning to Russia in 1999.
From 1978 to 1999, he lived and worked in Munich. Upon his return, he lectured at the Moscow State University’s philosophy faculty. Wrote a number of books, including Yawning Heights, Radiant Future, Homo Soveticus, Notes of the Nightwatchmen, Para Bellum, Catastroika and others.
Founded in December 2013, Rossiya Segodnya is described by Wikipedia thusly:
Media group owned and operated by the Russian government, created on the basis of RIA Novosti. The group owns and operates Sputnik, RIA Novosti, inoSMI and several other entities. The head of the organisation is Dmitry Kiselyov. Margarita Simonyan is the chief editor.
I provide all the background info because what you’re about to read is a very critical and demonstratively different point-of-view of the Outlaw US Empire than most will have seen. I find the author a very serious analyst and well versed historically. He was born in 1963, making him eight years younger than me, so he’s had plenty of time for his views to mature. His writings have earned him illegal sanctions by the Outlaw US Empire and its EU vassals. A hat-tip to Andrei Martyanov for noting his essay:
Russia Will Have to Withdraw Nuclear Weapons From the United States
It is impossible to fight Russia without Nazification. The political system of the aggressor country, which opposed Russia and the Russians, will not survive. Therefore, the United States Nazified Ukraine. The Nazi ideology dictated to Ukrainians determines their place in the “food chain”, at the top of which is the United States: Ukrainians are lower than their Western masters, but higher than the Russians – so they were indoctrinated. For this they must submit to the totalitarian Nazi order and die at the front without counting the losses.
Russia allowed the existence of the Ukrainian people, but will never agree to the Ukrainian nation, for which “Ukraine is above all”, to “Ukraine for Ukrainians”. If Russians cannot live freely on the territory of Ukraine as Russians, then there will be no Ukraine on historically Russian territories. This is a settled issue. Ukrainian Nazism will be destroyed in all its manifestations in the historical territories of Russia.
Whether there will be anything left of Ukrainianism after this, one cannot really guess. If the Germans had a place to retreat after denazification – to their culture and history, then Ukrainians do not have such a cultural and historical basis, otherwise there would not have been fictions about the “ancient Ukies”, which are seriously introduced into the education system, starting from kindergarten.
Russia has no reason to preserve the defeated Ukraine. The 20th-century communist experiment in granting privileges to fringe nationalisms in exchange for supporting the world revolution is over. The territorial remnants of Western Ukraine are also the objects of claims of several Eastern European countries.
At the same time, the solution of the Ukrainian problem does not cancel the main problem of Russia – the war of attrition and annihilation, which has been waged against it in the struggle for world domination by the United States, since the moment of victory USSR Over Hitler’s Germany. The Ukrainian crisis in this war is another passing episode.
From the very beginning of the war against the USSR, the United States considered nuclear weapons as the main “argument” – the destruction of Russia is necessary because it is possible. However, the Soviet Union’s swift response, both in terms of nuclear warheads and space delivery vehicles, demanded that the U.S. nuclear strategy be supplemented with the psychological and ideological warfare of the Voice of America, as well as local conflicts in which the so-called U.S. proxy forces were forged. The latter were later supplemented by “international terrorism” – also a geopolitical invention of the United States. All these additions to the development and growth of the nuclear arsenal made up the characterization of the U.S. war against the USSR as a cold war. The Cold War is the political shell of the US nuclear attack plan on the USSR.
However, the United States does not realize that the war against the USSR/Russia has become the main process that determines its own fate. The United States itself has become hostages to this struggle and its existential risks.
The suicide of the USSR created the illusion of victory in the United States in psychological warfare. However, it did not mean the defeat of the Soviet Union. He voluntarily ended his own story. But this did not mean the defeat and even more so the suicide of historical Russia. On the contrary, Russia refused to be a resource for the world revolution and the global imposition of communism, the world communist superpower. It returned to the continuation of its own history, to its origins and traditions. Given what has been done for the good of humanity on the world stage at the cost of the sacrifices it has made, it is not surprising that it was Russia that for the first time in the world and history offered eternal peace to its historical opponents. This proposal was mistakenly considered weakness and capitulation of the vanquished.
The United States is fighting Russia, the largest state in terms of territory among the states of the world following the results of the wars of the last millennium. The “returns” from this struggle critically undermine the United States’ own political system. Today, they have come close to the point where racism, the ideological basis of the United States, must be openly transformed into Nazism, the practice of total war. This final transformation began with the Patriot Act of 2001, which marked the end of American democracy. Today, American ideologues no longer mention it, but instead talk about American rules for the world, about the exceptionalism of the American nation, about the obligation of peoples to die for American interests, to sacrifice their vital resources for the sake of the United States. This fully applies to Europeans, although it is unusual for them. American Nazism is absolute and is the next, more developed version after the German one.
The United States has already done enough not only against Russia and its people, but also against the peoples of other countries, for the victims to declare a war of annihilation on them. Casus belli has been taking place for a long time. The United States has already deserved severe punishment. But they are acting without regard for such a possibility only because the victims do not yet want a nuclear war. As it seems for Washington, nuclear power exempts from responsibility. However, if and when the final Nazification of the United States takes place (including if some states that do not want Nazification and fascist dictatorship do not secede from the United States themselves), the question of how to stop them will arise for Russia and other affected states as practical and urgent. Neutralizing their proxies, including Europe, will not give the required result. At the same time, one should not count on the “instinct of self-preservation”, since the subject claiming superpower does not have it by definition. Suicide is just his highest achievement and inevitable prospect. After all, the supersubject becomes such, spending resources unrestrainedly. Which one day end. However, unlike the USSR, which embraced the ideological poison of anti-communism and died quietly in its bed, the United States will try to take everyone else with it. Because they live at their expense, and not at their own. And sooner or later they [the world] will stop feeding the dragon.
Russia has announced a refinement of its nuclear doctrine. The level of nuclear tolerance based on the results of the clarification will be expected to be significantly adjusted downwards. Sensitivity to threats will be increased, a number of prohibitions and self-restrictions will be lifted. The correction of the nuclear doctrine is inevitably caused not only by the reckless stubbornness of the United States in attempts to inflict unacceptable damage on our country, but also by the consistent qualitative and quantitative growth of Russia’s defense and offensive strategic potential, both in nuclear and non-nuclear weapons, and the achievement of military superiority over the enemy. Moscow returned to the systematic reproduction of armed forces capable of confrontation on a global scale, moreover, in a format that does not imply the total militarization of society, which opens up horizons of new political and economic opportunities for it that were not available in the twentieth century.
At what point will the arming, mobilization and sending of proxy tools by the United States to the front against Russia be “considered” a war between the United States and our country? This issue will not be resolved in the plane of international law, which is hopelessly lagging behind the reality of the struggle for world power waged by the United States. Russia still has enough reasons to frame the confrontation in this way. It does not do this for the only reason – the consequences of proxy aggression have so far been effectively stopped. The format of the NWO moderates military risks, reducing them to a level that is below the threshold of general mobilization. In fact, this format itself is a political, technological and social invention and achievement of modern Russia, an effective management mechanism, although it creates new and unusual social effects and phenomena unknown in the past. But working with them is a school for a new generation of Russian statesmen. In terms of preparing for a full-scale war against the aggressor, the NWO is a developed alternative to repression and spy mania, which are inevitable if there is no such alternative.
The United States is gathering political forces for a decisive blow to Russia. The democracy of poker between the two ruling parties, when the presidency is played more or less according to some rules, has been exhausted. The United States needs a dictatorship for itself, and it will establish it. Ancient Rome was able to consciously appoint a dictator in a situation of crisis. The United States did not reach Rome. But Ukraine became their political technology laboratory, here they set up a full-scale experiment on the transition to Nazism, as they say, “out of the blue.” And now they will take full advantage of its results in relation to themselves. The pirate oligarchy should become a military junta. And this brings the United States to the problem of power.
The military – those who fight and die on the battlefield, and not just are listed as soldiers in peacetime – are the only caste that can rule. This is an ancient tradition, but such is the modern situation, since power requires unlimited responsibility, when life is pledged and not authorized capital. The United States is a society where power has been usurped by traders. And they, in principle, avoid responsibility, even limited ones, and strive to transfer the maximum of risks, losses and costs to others. In the USSR, power in the twentieth century was appropriated by the clergy of a godless religion – faith in communism. This distortion of the political system led to its destruction. The imbalance of the US political system also leads its internal crisis to the point of no return. The U.S. military community is corrupted by the influx of external resources and the logic of plunder. It is not ready to build a state – a system of reproduction of power based on its own internal resources. For two centuries, the US trade community bought the services of its own military, effectively turning them into mercenaries. But there are fewer and fewer funds left for this internal mercenary. And mercenaries do not and cannot have political qualifications.
The political crisis in the United States and its further deepening will not postpone, but, on the contrary, will bring closer their military conflict with Russia. Even the logic of unilateral rule-making is no longer available to the United States: those who are unable to establish them internally cannot project rules onto the world. In the escalation of the conflict to a full-scale world war, the American clans will look for mechanisms to resolve both their own contradictions and write off the American debt to the world in all its dimensions, from financial to moral. In this strategic perspective, Russia will not expand the use of US military proxy tools and include European countries in their aggression. The lesson that the West will have to teach will apply not only to these countries, but also to the American metropolis itself.
The lack of principles and policies of self-restraint deprives the United States of the right to nuclear weapons. The growth of contradictions between state states, the absence of a single American people, the collapse of the political system formed as a result of the Civil War of the North and the South, the degeneration of the United States into a Nazi-fascist dictatorship will be the last arguments in favor of the withdrawal of the nuclear arsenal from the United States – possibly against the background of the collapse of the union of North American states with the formation of several confederations and under the protectorate of Russia and China. [My Emphasis]
The point Martyanov made in assessing the essay is “Sergeitsev, paradoxically, makes an interesting case of WHY the US Armed Forces will not save the US, unlike it happened with Russia in 2000,” the latter clause also being somewhat controversial. The third paragraph above is the one to reread. Those with some knowledge of US History will recall that many former presidents were military generals, but the last was Ike during the period where the Neocons became dominant by making the Anti-Communist Crusade the nation’s religion. The US military is no longer a genuine military whose primary task is to defend the nation. Its top generals have no political acumen as their goal for reaching the top echelon is to cash in on the Military Industrial Complex’s perks. It’s now corrupted beyond redemption and completely hostage to the weapons makers, who are more financialized than industrial anymore and thus produce crap systems whose only point is to generate profits, dividends and share price capital gains. In other words, it has “no internal resources’ it could use to form the basis for a government. The US federal government has long degenerated into a parasitical system
where power has been usurped by traders. And they, in principle, avoid responsibility, even limited ones, and strive to transfer the maximum of risks, losses and costs to others.
I’ve long described the Neoliberal system as being Fascistic having written many short essays on the topic; so, the idea that the Outlaw US Empire’s federal political system was moving to something that could be termed American Nazism. The idea that to fight Russia an ideology akin to Nazism is required. Installing in in Ukraine was easy because of its history, but getting the majority of Europe to adhere to it is chimeric, although the EU/EC/NATO are trying hard and have converts in other societies where the historical situation allows for its promotion. The big exception seems to be the Old Europe core—France, Italy and Germany. Their internal politics could do great damage to the Empire’s attempt to go to war directly with Russia.
As “for the victims” of US Imperialism “to declare a war of annihilation” in retribution but “do not yet want a nuclear war,” a different alternative is taking shape that seeks to become capable of halting US Imperialism by taking away its tools—Dollar Hegemony, Military Superiority, and Narrative/Information Dominance—with the Outlaw US Empire already having ceded industrial/economic capacity/power without a shot fired thanks to the addiction of its Deep State elites to Pleonexia and Megalomania, which have been the bane of elites for many centuries and what’s the real aspect of today’s global conflict—the seemingly never ending Class War waged by Creditors against Debtors: Individuals and nations. That’s another way of describing the fact that the ancien regime that’s existed for well over 2,000 years continues to keep its dominant position by using its usual method of wealth extraction—collecting rents in as many places as possible—while continuing to adapt to political and technological changes that occur, so their external appearance changes but the internal dynamic, philosophy and the driving addictions remain constant.
The author and many analysts expect great public unrest to erupt within the Outlaw US Empire in the aftermath of the elections on 5 November, and that’s very likely given the degree of election fraud that exists and the public’s awareness of it being done because one faction of the Duopoly hates the other now in ways that’s both part theatre and reality and is the outcome of decades of using divide and rule tools to create that outcome. The number of deranged nuts make further assassination attempts on both candidates probable, although Harris has yet to be targeted. Given what we’ve seen with overt censorship, government harassment of people for just speaking their minds on policies that are never discussed or debated because neither party has anything good to offer ordinary citizens, that’s likely to worsen. Yes, passions are high mainly because Wall Street owns the three branches of the federal government and thus nothing emerges policy-wise that’s aimed at helping the masses. For historical perspective, political passions were much higher from 1794-1802 because of the undeclared war against France and the resulting Alien & Sedition Acts, and from 1856-1861 as the Slave Power wanted to capitalize on the Imperial land acquisitions of its presidential agent James Polk and was prevented, which generated the Civil War as the Southern States demanded the right to exercise their sovereignty.
The idea of disarming the Outlaw US Empire by removing its nukes struck me as novel and impossible, but in light of what I recently wrote about the ossification of the Empire’s nuclear systems, that doesn’t seem as impossible as it did at first. However, as I noted in that article, the Empire may be thinking that Bioweapons offer better opportunities for use. I note the author omits any mention of that weapon capacity or threat. The Ukraine gambit is lost; the author and others believe other proxies will be found and used. The talk now is to attack Russia using NATO missiles that are seen as being categorically different from those that have already been employed—even though they also relied on NATO crews and targeting info that don’t differ at all from these other systems. In other words, NATO’s been at war with Russia since 2014, although one could argue that war never ended with the USSR’s demise since the main reason for the conflict is Western elite passion for Russia’s vast resources.
Perhaps once the ancien regime is finally uprooted and the multipolar world becomes reality Humanity can agree to round up the nukes and dispose of them and their delivery systems. Yes, that’s a tall order for now, but perhaps by 2050 that will become a possibility. I’d sure like to live to see that. The other set of fanatics in the Levant also need to be defanged and dispersed so the longtime residents of that region can finally know peace and enjoy the absence of colonialism. And yes, the nukes possessed by those fanatics also must be taken from them and soon. IMO, Zionist Terrorism is a greater current threat to Humanity than the Outlaw US Empire.
What are some unethical life hacks?
I once knew this guy in Mountain View, Silicon Valley that was a computer System Admin for the company I was consulting at. Super smart and nice, he was always confident and knew how to fix problems.
His only issue was, he was always out on call and I had to page him when I needed him. 30 minutes later, he would turn up and fix the problem. This goes on for a few months, until one day I go to call him and find out he is no longer working there.
I asked around to find out what happened to him and it turns out, he had been holding down 2 full time jobs at the same time. He had worked at the company I was at, and another similar one a short distance away simultaneously. He was earning 2 full time salaries, both System Admin positions, working a 40hr week, 9–5, Mon-Fri for 2 companies at the same time, charging twice for the same hour. Both companies he worked for were just a few blocks apart and he had pagers and phones for both jobs. He constantly ran backwards and forwards between the 2 companies and had gotten away for it for years.
It wasn’t until his boss was visiting his friend at the other company for lunch, saw him sitting at another desk, that he was found out. I was impressed. Up until he got caught, he was keeping both bosses happy. Even though he was no longer working there, he ended up being a hero in the eyes of the other engineers, just for having the balls to do something so bold.
The FBI Just Declassified A Document Saying That A Remote Viewer Saw This On A Distant Planet
What was your biggest culture shock going to Europe?
When I first set foot in Europe, I knew I was in for a new experience, but I didn’t realize just how different things would feel. One of the biggest culture shocks for me was how deeply ingrained certain customs and social norms were, even in the most mundane aspects of life.
The first thing that threw me off was how everything seemed to move at a slower, more deliberate pace. In many European cities, people actually take the time to enjoy their meals, and sitting at a café for hours is completely normal. Coming from a fast-paced culture where we often eat on the go, it felt almost unnatural at first to just sit there and savor the moment without rushing to the next thing. It was refreshing, but it took me a while to get used to not feeling like I had to constantly be in motion.
Another big surprise was the emphasis on public transportation and walking. In some European cities, cars aren’t as necessary, and people either walk or take trams, buses, or bikes to get around. I had to adjust from relying on my car for everything to learning to navigate public transit systems. At first, it was confusing, but eventually, I grew to appreciate the ease and efficiency of it all. It felt liberating to not need a car, and I started enjoying the walks, taking in the scenery and the local vibe.
But one of the most profound cultural shocks for me was the approach to work-life balance. Europeans, especially in places like Germany and France, seem to genuinely prioritize personal time and relaxation. Stores would close early, and Sundays were almost entirely reserved for rest, with most shops and businesses shut down. It felt strange at first—coming from a place where we’re used to 24/7 availability—but I grew to admire how much value they placed on downtime and family time. People didn’t live to work; they worked to live.
Lastly, the diversity of languages and the respect for local traditions struck me. Traveling just a few hours by train would land me in a place with an entirely different language, cuisine, and customs. I quickly learned that it wasn’t just about seeing the sights; it was about immersing myself in the local way of life, respecting their rules and understanding the differences.
My time in Europe left me with a deeper appreciation for different ways of living. The initial culture shock eventually transformed into admiration for the richness of European life, teaching me the value of slowing down, being present, and enjoying the simple pleasures.
Is American democracy real or fake? What about Chinese democracy?
Democracy is all about empowering the people to be governed well. How this is achieved in immaterial. Multiparty versus single-party rule is irrelevant.
So, are the American people well-governed, or are the Chinese people?
The American people are suffering from a whole host of domestic problems such as homelessness, gun violence, poor healthcare, declining life expectancy, declining education, crumbling infrastructure, opioid addiction, mass incarceration, systemic racism, growing poverty, etc. The US has a runaway national debt. Despite falsified government data, inflation is high and employment is low. The people are NOT well-served.
The Chinese people have never had a better quality of life than today. Chinese society is harmonious and stable. China isn’t perfect but it has no major domestic problem. The people are well-served.
China’s political system clearly works better. You don’t have to take my word for it. Listen to the Chinese people…
➤ 79% of Chinese believe their nation is democratic, while only 57% of Americans and 55% of British do. [Source: Latana’s Democracy Perception Index 2024.]
➤ 85% of Chinese trust their government, while only 40% of Americans and 30% of British do. [Source: Edelman Trust Barometer 2024.]
➤ 76% of Chinese trust their politicians, while only 29% of Americans and 20% of British do. [Source: Open Society Barometer 2023.]
➤ 91% of Chinese are happy with their life, while only 76% of Americans and 70% of British are. [Source: Ipsos’ Global Happiness 2023.]
➤ 95.5% of Chinese are satisfied with their government. [Source: Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center in 2020, “Taking China’s Pulse.”]
➤ 95% of Chinese believe their country is on the right track and moving in the right direction, while only 41% of Americans and 23% of British do. [Source: Ipsos’ What Worries The World survey from November, 2019.]
➤ most Chinese strongly support their political system. [Source: UC San Diego’s China Data Lab since 2019, “WHAT 16 WAVES OF PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS TELL US ABOUT CHINA AND CHINESE VIEWS.”]
A few years ago, Pew Research conducted Chinese surveys to show the level of satisfaction for their government. In 2002, 48% of Chinese were satisfied. In 2005, 72% were satisfied. From 2006 to 2016, the number was consistently over 80% year after year.
Come here, and I’ll take you home!
Bushmills Flamed Steak
Ingredients
- 1 (1 1/2 pound) boneless sirloin strip steak, 3/4 inch thick
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups sliced freresh mushrooms
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
- 1/4 cup Old Bushmills Irish Whiskey
- 3/4 cup cream
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon tarragon
- 1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Salt and pepper
- Parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat skillet very hot.
- Melt butter until golden and add steak. Sear on both sides and cook to your taste.
- Remove steak to heated platter.
- Quickly sauté onions and mushrooms in pan drippings.
- Put steak back into skillet and drizzle with 1/4 cup Old Bushmills Irish Whiskey and flame.
- Remove steak only back to platter.
- Reduce heat to medium and sprinkle sugar, flour and tarragon on mushrooms and onions. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Stir in cream and cook until reduced by half.
- Season to taste.
- Pour over steak and garnish with parsley.
What about kill codes? How do you detect those?
Especially when it is baked into the chip either the transistors added circuitry or firmware?
Just because it doesn’t blow up doesn’t mean it isn’t doing something just as bad like sending everything you’re doing to the CIA.
If you do your banking, the CIA could drain your account and you would never know. Then wipe your phone and brick it.
That is almost as bad as the thing blowing up. And we already know the CIA does that thanks to an ex-CIA guy called Snowden.
Same for you computer. Imagine your computer wiping your hard drive before doing a blue screen of death. Can you afford to lose everything on your computer?
Don’t say backups, because if it is connected, your CIA computer can wipe your backups too before killing itself.
For those who were actually old enough to have experienced the 1970s and not for those who were born in the 70s. What were the pros and cons of that era?
I got my driver’s license in 1972. Gas was 19.9 cents.
I could drive to a drive-in movie.
My first car was a 1959 Chevy. The original purchase invoice was in the glove box. $1,900.
We changed our own oil and spark plugs.
Saturday Night Live was actually funny.
Laugh—In. Nixon appeared on the show as did High Hefner. It launched Goldie Hawn’s career.
Boomers were the largest age group in America.
The older generation did not understand us. (Sound familiar?)
The greatest music ever produced was recorded in the 60s and 70s.
Cops (like my father) were 50% ambassadors, 50% Law enforcement officers.
Cops had “situational awareness”.
You could be jailed for possession of marijuana paraphernalia.
Long hair on guys was not permitted in schools. Facial hair was likewise prohibited.
Gals were not permitted to wear skirts that stopped above the knees.
“Make love not war” was the theme. Not “defund the police”.
400,000 people were employed as telephone operators to handle all the pay phones and collect calls.
Jiffy Pop popcorn was cooked on a stove burner. Fun to watch as the foil expanded.
Nixon, Ford and Carter were great sources of daily humor.
Oil Embargo. For the first time we saw gas prices exceed $1 per gallon.
Gas station pumps would only register up to 99.9 cents and had to be replaced.
The gas station attendants pumped the gas for you. They would even add half a quart of oil if need be.
I could do this all day LOL
BRICS Decision Shook the Western World: End of UN?
What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?
Mine was a long time ago. I was sitting in a bar and this lady who was very drunk kept bitching at this dude who was freaking huge and scary. She was an average sized woman and probably good looking a decade ago but the years were not as kind to her. She goes on and on bitching at this guy and he is just sitting there and not doing anything. Then she pokes him a few times with her finger somewhat hard and is not yelling but getting loud. He looks at her and tells her to not touch him again or he will break her finger. Dude said is super calm, and it got somewhat quiet around them. She then goes off on him loud again and pokes him again with her index finger. Dude freaking grabs it while she is pulling it back and snaps it in what seemed like a quarter of a second.
This lady is now screaming and demanding someone do something. My buddy looks at her and says “He warned you” and it was weird but everyone just kind of ignored her screaming as she left the bar. She was looking around like someone was going to do something for a few seconds. Oh there wasn’t any bone sticking out but we all heard the snap. At least I don’t remember any bleeding or seeing a bone.
The fact is that I think me and my buddies would have also have gotten our asses handed to us even if we went to fight this dude. Which none of us even thought about doing. No cops showed up while we were there and after a bit it was like nothing happened.
How have the tensions between China and the Philippines affected trade between the two countries?
Philippine durians, which had the potential to compete in China’s fruit market, could only watch as its neighbors secured a slice of the market.
At the beginning of last year, the Philippine Department of Agriculture ambitiously set a goal to export over 54,000 tons of durian to China in 2023. In the end, only 3,763 tons were sold, less than 1% of the goal, accounting for just 0.26% of China’s total durian imports.
The Philippines now pins its hopes on 2024. However, the first half of this year has been even more dismal, with durian export goals barely reaching 6%. After missing the “Mid-Autumn Festival market,” experts predict the country’s exports in 2024 will not exceed those of 2023.
Some clear-headed individuals in the Philippines are getting anxious because this isn’t just about durians. The reality is that Sino-Philippine relations are beyond repair.
For decades, countries in the South China Sea region have had disputes with China. China’s approach has always been to resolve these issues within the framework of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), while opposing the involvement of external forces.
Unfortunately, the Philippine government has done exactly what China dislikes most by inviting external powers into the South China Sea. The result was the embarrassing departure of the Philippine coast guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua from Sabina Shoal, after it was blocked by China, with no armed escort from the U.S. in sight.
This situation mirrors the fate of the Philippine durian farmers, who have mountains of unsold durians.
Is durian the only issue in Sino-Philippine trade? In the first half of this year, Philippine exports to China fell to $4.6 billion, a further drop of 20.2% compared to the same period last year.
All these consequences will eventually be felt domestically in the Philippines. On September 6, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported a sharp rise in the number of unemployed, from 1.62 million in June to 2.38 million. This number continues to grow, especially among recent graduates.
NEDA Director Balisacan has once again called for strengthening foreign trade, attracting investment, and enhancing infrastructure to improve employment prospects.
Ironically, all three solutions depend on China.
Of course, Marcos Jr. has alternatives. He could seek help from the U.S., the EU, Japan, or Australia. After all, these are “democratic durians.”
“Economy Is COOKED” – Massive CUT Shows U.S. In Titanic Trouble
China to impose countermeasures against U.S. military companies for arms sales to Taiwan region
China has decided to impose countermeasures against nine U.S. military companies for arms sales to China’s Taiwan region, according to a decision published on the Chinese foreign ministry website on Wednesday.
The decision said that the United States recently has once again announced arms sales plans to the Taiwan region, which has seriously violated the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, interfered in China’s internal affairs and undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Pursuant to Articles 3, 4, 6, 9 and 15 of China’s Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, China decided to take the following countermeasures against Sierra Nevada Corporation, Stick Rudder Enterprises LLC, Cubic Corporation, S3 AeroDefense, TCOM, Limited Partnership, TextOre, Planate Management Group, ACT1 Federal and Exovera:
Their movable, immovable and all other types of property in China will be frozen.
Organizations and individuals in China will be prohibited from engaging in transactions, cooperation or other activities with the above-mentioned enterprises.
The decision will become effective from Sept. 18, 2024.
In response to a query concerning recent U.S. plans to sell arms to China’s Taiwan region, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press briefing that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, particularly the August 17 Communique of 1982; seriously violates China’s sovereignty and security interests; damages China-U.S. relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait; and sends an erroneous signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.
“China strongly condemns and firmly opposes this, and has lodged stern representations with the U.S. side. China has taken firm countermeasures and announced that it will impose sanctions on nine U.S. military companies,” he said.
The United States continues to arm Taiwan, supporting Lai Ching-te and Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in their stubborn pursuit of “Taiwan independence” and their provocations regarding the one-China principle, Lin noted.
This once again proves that the biggest threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the greatest saboteur of the status quo across the Taiwan Strait are the separatist activities of “Taiwan independence” forces and the conniving support of external forces led by the United States, he added.
It should be noted that the DPP authorities are attempting to seek “Taiwan independence” through military build-up, and the United States is determined to help advance that agenda by arming Taiwan, Lin said, adding that any such actions will only backfire and lead to disastrous consequences, ultimately ending in failure, Lin said.
He stressed that the Taiwan question is at the heart of China’s core interests, and it is the most important red line that cannot be crossed in China-U.S. relations. No one should underestimate China’s firm will and strong ability to oppose “Taiwan independence” and defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
China urges the United States to abide earnestly by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, immediately end its dangerous trend of arming Taiwan, cease its conniving with and its support of “Taiwan independence” forces, and stop undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Lin said.
China will take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, he said.
China’s Tech + Economy Week
5% GDP growth looks baked in.
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All Men need to see this – Man OUTSMART ex-wife after she tried to take everything he has
OMG! This was brutal.
A tale about a school scandal
Not my wife and I so much, more like our entire town, but we did our bit. The person in question was the middle school principal – an utterly useless and incompetent bureaucrat. We were trying to get our eldest on an ed plan and were being ignored or stonewalled at every turn. We considered suing but our lawyer pointed out that if the school dug in the cost would be close to that of a private school. So, that is the path we took. It was not a silver bullet, but it got our child out of the black hole of the system.
The only time we heard from said principal was shortly after our child was accepted for the next year at a local private school. She called out of the blue to say that she assumed we would not need to meet with her to discuss our concerns. We have no idea how she found out.
Well, we were not the only folks in town with issues with this woman and we spoke to many parents who were dissatisfied with her performance. It all came to a head shortly due to local elections. The superintendent who had been doing nothing to correct the situation at the middle school announced some to policy changes for the next year which were blatantly designed to make life easier for the administration, not so much for the parents or kids. On top of that he asked for a significant override on property tax caps to add more money to the school budget.
Our town was a fairly affluent suburb west of Boston, MA and folks invariably voted yes for overrides to help the schools. Even many who no longer had kids in the school system did so as they viewed a good school system as beneficial to the town and the value of their own properties.
Well, that fateful fall, the override went down in flames as about 60% of the voters – and participation was high – voted no.
Now, the superintendent was not a fool and although a bureaucrat at heart, he did prove to be an honorable man. He explicitly read the election results as a vote of no confidence in his performance and resigned. Perhaps there was some encouragement from the School Board, but on leaving he did take responsibility for the failure of the override. The awful middle school principal was collateral damage and she was encouraged to retire.
Just to note, the elementary schools were excellent and the regional high school remains one of the best in the state. The middle school improved significantly and both of our younger two children received decent educations there.
BRICS Meeting to Develop Multipolar World
Do the cyanide pills used by spies work like in the movies? Is it as fast?
When you see a movie character take a cyanide pill, he usually dies within seconds.
The poison causes almost instant and apparently painless death.
In reality, however, it is not the same thing at all.
The poison in these pills—which do exist—does not work as quickly and is not at all painless…
Sodium cyanide or potassium cyanide is usually used to make these types of pills.
The problem is that death is not immediate and it is very painful. At best, it takes 4-5 minutes, at worst, up to ten or fifteen minutes. Knowing that these are minutes of agony.
There is an example of a person who was filmed after swallowing a cyanide pill. Michael Marin, an American banker, during his trial for fraud, swallowed a cyanide pill after hearing the verdict. He is seen convulsing and being taken to hospital, where he died after a long agony…
Immediate death from ingesting a cyanide pill is therefore a myth.
Incidentally, American U-2 pilots after the war generally did not want to carry these pills with them in case they were captured by the Russians during reconnaissance missions. They may have heard about the effects of their use during the war…
Shorpy
Why do people think the U.S. is such a great place?
Propaganda indoctrination. This has been going on for many decades since the end of WWII.
Hollywood played a huge role in this.
The US was, in fact, a pretty good place to live. That’s why so many immigrants went to the US.
But things have changed, and the US is riding on its momentum.
There is much that is wrong with America today, for example:
- rampant homelessness
- rampant gun violence
- poor healthcare
- declining life expectancy
- declining education
- crumbling infrastructure
- opioid addiction
- mass incarceration
- growing poverty
- etc.
I can’t think of one thing that makes the US a great place today.
Beef Steaks with Sweet Soy Drizzle
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 boneless beef strip steaks, cut 1 inch thick (about 8 ounces each)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 (14 to 16 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets (4 to 5 cups)
Instructions
- Rub beef steaks evenly with ginger. Place steaks on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 3 to 4 inches from heat. Broil for 13 to 17 minutes for medium rare (145 degrees F) to medium (160 degrees F) doneness, turning once.
- Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, soy sauce and vinegar in small bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reserve 2 tablespoons mixture for serving.
- Prepare broccoli according to package directions; drain. Toss with remaining soy mixture. Keep warm.
- Carve steaks into slices. Drizzle reserved 2 tablespoons soy mixture over beef.
- Serve with broccoli.
BRICS Makes Major Announcement On New Payment System
BRICS is working towards the creation of a new payment system without the integration of the US dollar in its mechanism, confirmed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The minister added that the new payment system will not only be used to settle cross-border transactions, it will act as a complete financial set-up.
The development, when launched, could attract emerging economies towards it making a shift away from the US dollar. The new BRICS payment system could lead to a paradigm shift in the global financial sector. Read here to know how many sectors in the US will be affected if BRICS ditches the dollar for trade.
New BRICS Payment System To Include Trading, Investing & Settlements
The Russian minister revealed that the new BRICS payment system will be equipped with trading, investing, and along with trade settlements. He explained that the mechanism will allow countries to partake in financial operations without being dependent on the US dollar. The move will make the alliance’s quest of de-dollarizing their economies much stronger.
Lavrov also hit out at the US and Europe for pressing sanctions on countries they don’t like. He stressed that the sanctions are what led to BRICS decision on launching a new payment system. Even US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen acknowledged that the White House sanctioning developing nations led to de-dollarization.
“Many are attracted by the fact that payment systems are being developed within BRICS. Which allows trading, investing, carrying out other economic operations without being dependent on those that decided to weaponize the dollar and the euro,” the foreign minister said.
The minister added that developing nations will flock to the BRICS payment system in fear of US sanctions. “Everyone understands that anyone may face US or other Western sanctions,” he said during a meeting with Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty.
This news is brought to you by Watcher.Guru
Douglas Murray Destroying Woke Culture for 8 Minutes Straight
The effect of NATO and Ukraine of criticized China.
After NATO criticized China for giving blood transfusions to Russia to support Russia in Ukraine War, the hit rate of HIMARS dropped from 100% to 10%.
Russia’s glide bombs and tactical missiles suddenly had eyes, and tactical missiles could be used to decapitate NATO’s Kharkiv headquarters.
From then on, NATO never criticized China again. After Ukraine assembled troops on the Belarusian border, a battalion of J20s landed to fight terrorism in the area.
The Ukrainian troops withdrew, Ukraine no longer criticized China, Ukraine foreign minister came to China, and made claimed of supporting one China policy.
China only need to show it’s capability a little, then they all backtracked their hostility.
If I get pulled over and have only had one beer, should I admit it?
As a former LEO who has conducted hundreds of DUI investigations, I can tell you unequivocally to tell an officer who stops you that you have not had anything to drink, and in fact you don’t drink, PERIOD. If the officer states that he can smell alcohol on your breath, deny it outright, tell him again you don’t drink, but that you are a diabetic and just ate some glucose because your sugar level was low (that will smell like alcohol). And if he/she asks you to perform voluntary field sobriety tests, politely decline. They are voluntary, and even a stone-cold sober person will fail them 9/10 times. They are designed that way.
**Edit to my original answer**
People freaking out on my answer about “lying to cops” and encouraging unlawful behavior, or better yet, “You were never a cop!!!” First off, I don’t care whether you believe me or not about being a former LEO – I’ve been spit on, shot at, my partner died in my arms, and I’ve been in more fights for my life with violent psychopaths than you would ever believe. Until you’ve actually worn a badge and strapped on body armor and had to wonder whether you’ll see your family again at the end of your shift, you can pound sand.
The other pushback I seem to be getting is that “no cop is going to believe you” or “most diabetics don’t take glucose” and so on. Wrong on both counts. A simple search on this new fangled thing called Google will show you:
Can low blood sugar smell like alcohol?
Interestingly, a person with diabetes in a state of hypoglycemia may even emit an odor of alcohol. A diabetic with extreme hypoglycemia can also develop ketoacidosis which causes acetone to be present in the mouth. This acetone can be mistaken by a police breath testing machine to be alcohol.
In terms of my actual answer to the question posted, my intent is not to encourage drunk driving. The fact is, you should NEVER drink and drive. The question was about ONE BEER. However, one beer isn’t going to put you over the BAC limit, but if you ADMIT to a LEO that you have had even one beer, you now have admitted guilt and he now has probable cause to start a DUI investigation and ask you to do field sobriety tests (which are designed to make you fail, even if you are stone sober and very fit). I have absolutely seen people arrested and charged at that point (which will end up costing you ~$5,000 US to get out of it). Do not ever incriminate yourself – the police are not your friends, no matter how nice they may seem.
Uncomfortable truth: Cops lie to citizens ALL THE TIME, so if you’re offended at my suggestion to lie back to them, you are simply delusional. It’s not illegal to do so in the US, just as it’s not illegal for a police officer to lie to you.
Field sobriety tests are VOLUNTARY in the US – I cannot speak for EU driving laws – so don’t do them, ever. The less probable cause you give to the officer, the less likely his case against you will succeed.
China is NOT Messing Around This Time – Here’s Why
The Philippine coast guard vessel has been occupying China’s Xianbin Jiao for nearly five months. Why did it suddenly leave?
Why did PH CG 9701 leave Xianbin?
1, China blocked any supply of food, water, fuel to generate heat etc to PH 9701. China deployed 44 ships of all kinds to encircle PH9701.
PH tried to use coast guards incl speed boats, fishing boats, drones & helicopter to do resupply. Many times. All failed.
PH tried to use force/violence incl collision. Got defeated by China.
PH also tried to distract China by creating conflict in Huangyan island. But China has lots of resources & deployed another team of CG to Huangyan. PH again failed.
2, After 5 months, PH crewmen fell sick. We saw some were on stretchers. Some hooked up to medical tubes. Some were supported by others.
3, Most importantly, USA “sold out” PH. USA did not escort PH to do resupply. No US warship was around in SCS either.
Note that from Sep 10, US Indo-Pacific commander spoken to China’s counterpart from Southern Theater. News said the 2 reached an agreement (no details).
Then on Sep 11, PH official went to China to talk. No details.
Whether it was a US hint or a US order to PH to leave the reef, it does not matter. The result is that PH CG 9701 has left Xianbin reef.
Have you ever found something in your home that was hidden by the previous owners?
I bought my house from an old couple. One section of the basement had been a canning room with a dirt floor. I tested for radon, and the result was just a bit over the limit, so I decided to pour concrete in that section to get the numbers down. This effort was eventually successful, and there was no need to install a fan system.
Prior to the concrete project, I dug about 2 cubic yards of dirt from the floor and lifted it to the window, one bucket at time. That’s about 2 to 3 tons of dirt. Nearing the end, I hit something in the middle of floor. It seemed like a big vertical pipe at first. After clearing away the dirt, I realized it was 5-gallon bucket. I was almost scared to see what was inside- an animal skeleton? Baby skeleton?
Inside the the bucket was a green plastic garbage bag. It was heavy. After lifting the bag and putting it on the floor, I knew what it contained. I had delivered newspapers as a kid, and collecting the weekly bills from customers was a Saturday ritual. A bag full of coins has a certain way of plopping down.
Inside were roll after roll of uncirculated silver quarters. There were a few other things like silver dollars and dimes, but mostly it was 1964 quarters. I looked up the value online, and it was about $14000 back in 2010. I knew the previous owners had 5 kids and one had an uncommon name- Kent. There was a small ledger with the coins, and one of the entries was something like “Gave Kent a dollar for his birthday.” So, I called the former owner and quizzed her about my digging- would I find anything in that dirt floor? She said no, but when I told her what I found, she said, “Yes, I thought the boys might have forgotten one of the buckets.” Crap. Well, I had hoped the coins had belonged to the people before them (had no idea who they were), but no such luck. The old man came over, put the bucket of treasure in his trunk, and drove way. Would have been nice of him to give me $5, but I guess that was asking for too much.
US Blindly Headed Towards World War 3
Can you explain the history of Unit 731 and why China denies its existence?
The question starts wrong: China does not deny the existence of unit 731.
731 was a medical lab opened by Japanese military to make bio weapons.
During WW2, Japan tested the bio weapons on Chinese.
After Japan was defeated in WW2, China used the old Japanese labs as a museum to remind Chinese of the horror of war & the brutality of Japan.
Below is 1 of my post.
A 94-year-old Japanese veteran Hideo Shimizu worked in a bio weapon lab (unit 731) during WW2. His lab experience haunted him for life. He said if Japan govt does not face its past evil against humanity, it is dangerous. Why dangerous? Did USA collude with 731?
On 2024/8/13, a 94-year-old Japanese veteran Hideo Shimizu (清水英勇) went to Harbin, China to visit an old Japanese 731 lab (now a museum). During WW2, 731 made bio weapon & tested it on Chinese.
HS witnessed Japanese evil against humanity. He apologized to Chinese. Since the Japanese govt refused to admit its past evil, since 2016, he decides to disclose it because it is dangerous for Japan not to face its past, he said.
HS was 14 years old when he joined 731. He witnessed Japanese 731 doctors tested bio weapon on a Chinese pregnant woman. Then cut up & examine the fetus/baby alive, with no anesthesia.
He also witnessed 731 took internal organs from a live Chinese youth. Those doctors were laughing, which sickened HS. He told Chinese official TV CGTN & press (新华社) more stories.
After WW2 & return to Japan, he was asked by Japanese authority to hide 731’s evil. He was not allowed to work in the public services. He was not allowed to contact any former 731 members.
731’s brutality on humanity haunted HS for life. At old age, in 2016, he decided to publicly disclose Japan’s past evil. But Japan community did not want him to go to China & accused him of lying. But HS has inrefutable evidence eg old photo & document.
HS said, it is dangerous if Japanese govt does not face its past. He is so so correct …
Without shame of evil, Japan continues to do harm today. Since Fall 2023, Japan has been committing environmental terrorism, by discharging radioactive water into the Pacific. Each discharge is about 1 1/2 months apart & the discharge will continue for the next 30 years. In about 2 years, Japan’s radioactive water will reach the west coast of American continent.
HS is correct: Japan has no shame of war crime. Japan educated its people that the reason to invade China was because Japanese economy was so bad that if it did not invade China, Japan would die & disappear in the world. Japan also told people that the radioactive water is safe to drink & cook. Yet Japan does not save the radioactive water for its own consumption.
Nor does Japan let a 3rd party to take a separate water sample to do an independent test either … it is an indication of fraud, isn’t it?
Indeed, for more than 10 years, Japan was full of fraud. It has been making up false data about the safety of its cars, pharma medicine, safety of nuclear plant (where the radioactive water came from) & more.
USA is the accomplice:
After WW2, USA let Japanese 731 leaders such as 石井四郎 work as a consultant in USA. On the document prints US military base Fort Detrick (where Covid may be originated.)
To trade 731’s research data, USA protected Japan so much that China as the victim of WW2 did not get compensation from Japan.
USA also helped the 731 class-A criminals to become Japanese PM in 1950’s.
USA is equally evil:
in June 2024, Pentagon admitted it spread fake news in Philippines & Asia incl Mideast, regarding Chinese covid vaccine. Instead of saving life during epidemic, the US anti-Chinese-vaccine campaign killed people.
history repeats
Replace Japan with Israel. We will see the brutal Japan. The only one that stays unchanged is U S A.
Have you ever walked out of a car dealership just before signing a final purchase contract? What happened?
We went into a Nissan dealership to test drive a car on a Friday evening. They had the color we wanted but features we didn’t need. That was negotiation point 1.
Like most dealers their advertising was shady, giving total rebates impossible to achieve and burying the words. Still we had a good idea of what we wanted and the price so we were in the ballpark. But the crappy advertising was negotiation point 2.
Like a lot of places the salesman was on our side but the sales manager was shady. We were close so he didn’t want us to walk, the issue was the features we didn’t want. We weren’t going to pay for them.
Well the sales manager screwed up with all those rebates. He closed on a price with a rebate Nissan couldn’t give because we were financing interest free. Oops.
But we all agreed to sign on Saturday, it was already 9pm on the Friday. We drove back Saturday morning, “everything is ready”. Nope shady move had happened, he applied the rebate we couldn’t get but the financing was now 3% not interest free. We spotted it, told them to put 0% back and the sales manager tried to renegotiate. My wife immediately said, we’re out of here and we did leave, not before letting the salesman know it fell through.
Back home I found I had missed two calls. It was the GM, the salesman had let him know what had happened he was going to make the promised deal even though they would lose. I said I couldn’t get back to the dealership, my wife wouldn’t drive there and the GM said the original salesman was going to pick me up. He did. We got the deal. I still have the car.
Two notes: I really wanted those features we “didn’t want”. And second, my wife had an Uncle who occasionally drove cars for the dealership. He stopped in a few weeks later and told his friend there we had bought a car. They looked it up. They had actually lost money because they couldn’t make up the rebate they couldn’t give us with interest free.
I say wife because she was at the time, isn’t now.
These Charts CONFIRMED Everything We Knew About Online Dating
Diner Decor
Why is China the best country and much better than Japan?
Your question is asking for an opinion, and here’s mine…
China is the best country because:
- It is peaceful, having fought no wars in the last 45 years.
- It is benevolent, helping other countries develop through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
- Its society is harmonious and stable.
- Its people are happy and free.
- The country is enormously wealthy.
- The country is technologically very advanced.
It’s the country I wish I could move to.
China is better than Japan because:
- Japan’s economy is stagnant.
- Japan’s national debt is staggering at 260% of GDP.
- Japan’s currency is in the toilet.
- Japan’s auto industry is dying.
- Its people are not very happy, ranking third lowest in the world with 57% at Ipsos.
Found Out GF Was Cheating With Married Man, Told His Wife, Her Parents, Now Leaving Her In The Dust!
What is it like to be a trained martial artist and have an untrained person on the street want to fight you?
About a year ago in Raleigh I had a young black dude as my neighbor that life was not being kind to (2 jobs, kid, 18, no education, girlfriend didn’t work, short on the rent, etc).
Apparently my asking him to not put 80gal of trash on our shared front porch was the last straw and we had a verbal altercation that quickly swept up his girl and his mom. Right in the middle of all this he strips shirt, assumes a boxers stance and bounced about threatening to beat my ass. Looking at him I knew he’d fought some, but his training wasn’t great if at all. Likely stuff he’d picked up from friends and family or by experience, but the thing that got me as he was taller, younger, lighter, and not weak by any means as he was all rope and bone.
I’m a middle-aged overweight Jew with a number of injuries’ that could not risk another concussion. I knew if he swung I’d have to hip toss him for my own safety, but he might hit. Say 50/50 I get him before he gets me. I knew it’d go one of two ways; I drop him headfirst onto the concrete or he nails me with his fist and I’m down like a sack of potatoes. This isn’t good. No way this goes to a good place by the rules in front of me, so I changed them. I visibly and clearly stepped back, hands down, and dialed 911. That got him to back up a bit. Cops came decently quick. Told them I didn’t need him or his family in jail, that he was having a shit-tastic summer, that I wanted them as adult babysitters to come turn the volume down on things. RPD kindly did so and gave him a friendly ear after calming him down.
No one got hurt. It was a good enough outcome. I wish it had a happy ending but it doesn’t. Said neighbors couldn’t pay the rent, moved out in the dead of night telling no one, and because they didn’t tell the landlord, the landlord had to formally evict them to get the property back.
BULLETIN: SPEAKER OF RUSSIAN DUMA TELLS EUIROPE NUCLEAR WAR COMING
On Thursday, the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution calling for allowing Ukraine to attack deep within Russia. In response, the Speaker of Russia’s Duma ( one House of their Parliament) made the clearest statement yet about World War 3 and Nuclear war! STUNNING statement . . .
The European Parliament passed a resolution on Sept. 19 calling for EU member states to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied weapons inside Russia.
The motion was passed with 425 votes in favor, 131 against, and 63 abstentions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously warned of full-scale war if NATO and Europe allow attacks on Russian soil With US missiles, because those missiles must be guided actively by U.S. Satellites, and if U.S. satellites guide those missiles, then the U.S. is, in fact, “at war with Russia.”
In response to what the European Parliament voted-on, the Speaker of the Russian Duma, took to the floor of that House in Parliament, and said this:
Speaker of the Russian Duma Vyacheslav Volodin:
“For those who did not understand the first time, today, the European Parliament called on the EU countries to lift restrictions on Kiev’s long-range strikes on our country’s territory, to increase military support for Ukraine, and to announce a collection of funds from the population of Europe for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
I will repeat again. If something like this happens. Russia will give a tough response using more powerful weapons.
No one should have any illusions about this. The State Duma insists on this.
Questions for the members of the European Parliament:
Did you consult with your voters before making this decision?
Do the citizens of European countries want war to come to their home?
What the European Parliament is calling for leads to a world war using nuclear weapons.
Before making such a decision, it was necessary to remember the lessons of World War II. Then, 27 million Soviet citizens died in the fight against fascism.
It was our country that liberated you and all of Europe. Remember this. Do not forget.
Judging by the statement of the European Parliament, you have apparently forgotten.
The citizens of our country know what war is, it has passed through every family. The victory over Nazism came at a high price.
The USA and England, who call themselves the victors today, lost less than 800,000 people in World War II. Our losses in the Battle of Stalingrad alone were 1,130,000 people.
The only thing the European Parliament should do after such a statement is to dissolve itself.
For your information, the flight time of the Sarmat missile to Strasbourg is 3 minutes 20 seconds.“
As most readers already know, the SARMAT is Russia’s latest multiple warhead nuclear missile, which can carry fifteen (15) independent warheads of the Avantgard design, which travel at Mach 25 (19,000 MPH) and cannot be intercepted or stopped.
Things with the Russia-Ukraine Conflict continue to grow worse by the day.
Readers are URGED to have emergency food, water, medicine, a generator, fuel for that generator, communication gear (CB or HAM radio) for when COMMS go down, a first-aid kit for small injuries or major war wounds, fire extinguishers, flashlights in each room or for each family member, spare batteries for those lights, a portable radio for news and information – and spare batteries for it, too.
There is very little time left to prepare.
If things continue along the path they are going, nuclear war is very much in ALL our futures.