I grew up in rural Western Pennsylvania. And there, I had many friends.
Most of my friends were the children of blue collar workers, farmers, coal miners, railroad workers and steel workers. Just average people in a solid middle class life and lifestyle.
One of my friends lived on a small farm with cows, and a few acres of vegetables. They were self sufficient, and their refrigerator was always full of fresh (unpasteurized) milk. They had dogs and cats there as well.
The house was always filled with uncles and aunties and all their kids, perhaps twenty or so in total. It was always a kind of crazy free-for-all at their homestead.
The dogs were always digging, and roaming, and they did a lot of sleeping as well.
The dogs were these big old “Hound Dogs” who spent most of their time sniffing on the porch or just playing in the barn.
One day I went to visit that found the oldest dog in misery. He had tangled up with a porcupine and his face was completely covered in barbed quills. You needed a medical vet to extract them, and they didn’t have the time or the money, so the dog lived a life of misery for a few months before they could extract the quills.
Ugh!
Life on the farm could get really harsh. Don’t you think?
Today… Crazy Man is talking big.
We were hoping for some stability.
Ah…
I have always said, that Trump 2.0 will either go REALLY good, or REALLY bad. There’s not going to be a middle ground in all this.
Is all the proposed changes that he is making a good, or a bad thing?
Hum….
Trump is talking about annexing Canada
From Boomberg
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” on the same day U.S. president-elect Donald Trump declared that he’s open to using “economic force” to acquire Canada. Trump, speaking at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, refused to rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland. He was also asked if he was considering using military force to acquire Canada. “No, economic force,” he responded. “Because Canada and the United States, that would really be something.” “You get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for national security. … We basically protect Canada.” Trump has repeatedly suggested Canada could merge with the U.S. The first widely-reported example came during a Canadian delegation’s visit to Mar-a-Lago in early December, which Trudeau attended. Canadian officials chalked up Trump’s comments as a tease, but it appears the president-elect has since started to take the idea seriously. “We’re losing $200 billion a year and more to protect Canada, and I said that to, as I called him, ‘Governor Trudeau.’ I said, ‘Listen, what would happen if we didn’t subsidize you?’ He said, ‘Canada would dissolve,’” Trump claimed. In the past, Trump has accused Canada of accepting a $100-billion subsidy from the United States. It’s unclear exactly what he is referencing, but it may refer to the trade deficit between the two countries. A trade deficit occurs when the dollar value of a country’s imports is more than its exports. In 2023, the U.S. trade deficit with Canada was US$41 billion. But on Tuesday, that purported $100-billion subsidy rose to $200 billion. CTVNews.ca has reached out to Trump’s media office to clarify what the $200-billion figure represents. “I love the Canadian people, they’re great,” he said. “We’re spending hundreds of billions a year to take care of Canada. … We can’t do it forever.” Not ‘a snowball’s chance in hell’: Trudeau Shortly after Trump made his comments, Trudeau responded on social media. “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States. Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner.” Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly also lamented Trump’s comments, adding they “show a complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada a strong country,” she wrote on X. “Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never back down in the face of threats.” Joly is widely considered a potential successor to Justin Trudeau, who announced he would resign from Liberal leadership on Monday, and eventually from his post as prime minister. ‘The world is better off’ because of Trudeau: Biden U.S. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, wrote in a statement that he spoke with Trudeau on Monday. Biden thanked Trudeau, calling him a “friend,” and adding “the world is better off because of him.” “Over the last decade, Prime Minister Trudeau has led with commitment, optimism, and strategic vision. The U.S.-Canada alliance is stronger because of him. The American and Canadian people are safer because of him. And the world is better off because of him,” wrote the president. Trudeau assumed power in 2015 towards the end of Barack Obama’s presidency. Biden was vice-president then. Nearly a decade later, Biden is preparing to hand the keys to the Oval Office to Trump, and Trudeau is leaving the PMO as the country braces for a tariff war with the United States. “Together, we’ve tackled some of the toughest issues our nations faced in decades,” the letter continues, “from the COVID-19 pandemic, to climate change, to the scourge of fentanyl.” The last point – the “scourge of fentanyl” – will remain a sticking point between Trump and the next prime minister. The president-elect mentioned controlling the dangerous drug as a condition to avoid 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S. when he assumes power. Canada-U.S. trade ‘supporting millions of jobs in each country’ The tariffs could seriously impact trade between the two countries. Last year, from January to November, the U.S. exported C$461.5 billion in goods to Canada and imported C$540.3 billion. The U.S. International Trade Association called the trade relationship the world’s largest and most comprehensive, supporting millions of jobs in each country. “We have made generational investments to strengthen our supply chains and rebuild our economies from the bottom up and middle out—establishing North America as the most economically competitive region in the world,” Biden wrote. “I am proud to call him my friend. And I will be forever grateful for his partnership and leadership.” Trump takes different tone Biden’s letter comes in stark contrast to Trump’s response to Trudeau’s resignation. In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump once again referred to Canada as the United States' 51st state, adding the U.S. “can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat.” “Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned,” he wrote. “If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down … Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!” On Tuesday, Trump also repeated his conversation with hockey star Wayne Gretsky. “I have so many great friends [in Canada]. One of them is ‘The Great One’: Wayne Gretzky,” Trump mused. “I told him run for prime minister … You’ll win in two seconds,” he said, possibly referring to the widely publicized Christmas Day visit between the president-elect and Gretzky. “He said, ‘Well, am I going to run for prime minister or governor? You tell me,’” Trump recounted. “I said, ‘Let’s make it governor. I like it better.’”
Trump is talking about seizing Panama
From Axios
Trump floats "Gulf of America," seizing Panama Canal in wide-reaching presser Erin Doherty U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center on December 22, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona President-elect Trump speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center on Dec. 22 in Phoenix, Ariz. Photo: Rebecca Noble/Getty Images President-elect Trump during a lengthy press conference on Tuesday did not rule out using the U.S. military to reclaim the Panama Canal or acquire Greenland. Why it matters: Speaking for over an hour during his second press conference since winning the White House, Trump floated renaming the 'Gulf of Mexico' to 'Gulf of America' and reiterated that he's "looking at" pardoning Jan. 6 defendants. Driving the news: Trump's far-reaching press conference comes just one day after Congress certified his 2024 presidential victory. Here's some of what he said: When asked by a reporter whether Trump would assure the world that he would not use military or economic coercion to gain control of Greenland and the Panama Canal, he said: "No, I can't assure you on either of those two." "I can say this, we need them for economic security," the president-elect said. Trump's remarks come as his son, Donald Trump Jr., is visiting Greenland on Tuesday, after the president-elect has signaled that the U.S. should try to acquire the territory. Between the lines: Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino told the local newspaper La Estrella he will not respond to Trump's accusations about the Canal until the president-elect takes office Jan. 20. A defiant Mulino has previously suggested that Trump's comments didn't matter until he actually became president. Gulf of Mexico: Trump also said that "we're going to be changing the name of Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring." His remarks, which raise questions about how the renaming process would actually work, are the latest example of Trump flexing his power on the global stage before he takes office. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Tuesday she plans to introduce legislation renaming the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America." Jan. 6 defendants: One day after the four year anniversary of the Capitol riot, Trump said that "we'll be looking at the whole thing, but I'll be making major pardons." He didn't specifically answer whether he would consider pardoning the Jan. 6 rioters who were charged with violent offenses. Trump on the campaign trail repeatedly said he would pardon the rioters who were charged in connection to Jan. 6 on his "first day" in office. Hostages held by Hamas: Trump said that "all hell will break out in the Middle east" if the hostages held by Hamas are not released by the time he takes office. "And it will not be good for Hamas and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone. All hell will break out. I don't have to say anymore, but that's what it is." Canada: Trump, who has mused about making Canada the 51st U.S. state, said that he would not use the military to make that happen but did not rule out using "economic force." Zoom out: Trump earlier in his Tuesday press conference announced that billionaire Hussain Sajwani, chairman of Dubai-based developer Damac Properties, is investing at least $20 billion in the U.S. to back new data centers. Go deeper: Trump announces $20 billion foreign investment in data centers Axios' Ben Berkowitz contributed reporting. Editor's note: This story has been updated with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's plans to introduce a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
Trump is talking about annexing Greenland
From The Hill
Trump, allies fuel speculation over Greenland endgame by Jared Gans and Sarakshi Rai - 01/07/25 6:32 PM ET President-elect Trump is ramping up speculation about his endgame with Greenland as he doubles down on calls to acquire the Danish territory, putting observers and allies alike on edge. Trump on Tuesday reiterated his desire to purchase the island during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, the same day his son, Donald Trump Jr., made a visit there. Observers have waved off the idea that the U.S. would realistically acquire Greenland. But President-elect Trump’s comments have nonetheless raised concerns, as well as renewed focused on the strategic importance of the island amid growing tensions with other Arctic players like China and Russia. “It’s not clear yet what the endgame is,” said Rebecca Pincus, the director of the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center, a global affairs think tank. “Denmark is a founding member of NATO, and both the Danish and Greenlandic governments expressed pretty firm opposition to a sale of Greenland. I think that would be very, very challenging.” Greenland has been of strategic importance to the U.S. at least since the beginning of the Cold War, when the so-called GIUK gap — the stretch of water between Greenland, Iceland and the U.K. — was essential in helping contain the Soviet navy. “There is an argument that the North Atlantic matters, and because the North Atlantic matters, Greenland matters. Now there’s a separate question, whether the United States needs to own it,” said Jon Alterman, senior vice president and Zbigniew Brzezinski chair in global security and geostrategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The Danish response is, ‘We’ve been cooperating with you on this for three quarters of the century, there’s no need to change the status quo.'” Alterman added that Trump likes to get attention and keep people on their toes, and “this is an example of persuading people that what they thought was settled isn’t settled.” “So even if you’re not talking about if the United States is going to buy Greenland next week, the sense that this administration will not be satisfied with the status quo sends a message to U.S. adversaries and allies alike that the U.S. considers the world in play,” he said. Daniel Fried, former U.S. ambassador to Poland and a fellow at the Atlantic Council, pointed to the 1951 treaty that gave the United States enormous control over Greenland’s defense. The treaty came after then-President Truman made “some halfhearted attempt” to buy Greenland in 1946. “It’s an agreement that’s existed for so long that people have forgotten it, but it does,” Fried said. “Trump is right that the United States has security interests in Greenland. And if this agreement is inadequate, I’d like to know why and where it has fallen short, because it’s not been a problem.” “And I don’t think they’ve made the case for why Greenland’s importance justifies this kind of threat and bullying,” he added. “Denmark has been a serious contributor to common security.” Trump’s expressed interest in Greenland in recent weeks is not the first time he has mentioned the U.S. possibly acquiring the island. He first mentioned it as a possibility in 2019 during his first term in office, reportedly proposing that Denmark trade Puerto Rico for it. Those plans never materialized, but Trump has put a renewed focus on obtaining it during the transition to his second term. He reiterated his belief that the U.S. must acquire Greenland on two occasions on Tuesday, first calling into a meeting that his son was holding with some Greenlandic people. He referred to Greenland as “a very special place” that needs security both for itself and the world. “We’re going to treat you well,” Trump said. He later said at a press conference that he would not commit to not using economic or military force to take control of Greenland, along with the Panama Canal, and expressed concern about Chinese and Russian influence in the region. Trump also vowed to levy tariffs on Denmark if it refuses to give up Greenland. Denmark has owned Greenland for a few centuries and has gradually granted the island in the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans greater autonomy. Greenland voted for self-government in 2008, receiving control of domestic affairs while Denmark retains responsibility for foreign affairs, including defense. The acquisition of Greenland has been floated multiple times over that period in U.S. history, but the prospect never progressed to a sale. Both Denmark’s and Greenland’s governments have been steadfast in rejecting the idea of Greenland joining the U.S. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told a local TV station Tuesday that Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede has been “very, very clear” that “Greenland is not for sale and will not be in the future.” She said the Greenlandic people have indicated support for that as well. “We must not lose our long struggle for freedom,” Egede said last month, responding to Trump. While experts cast doubt on the chances of an acquisition, they noted the strategic role of Greenland in the international order and argued that a strong U.S. presence in the area is critical to national security goals. Alterman told The Hill that the president-elect “likes doing things and seeing what the reaction is.” “One of the other things he has is a certain willingness to experiment and to do things over and over again and judge which approach does better,” he said. “I think his approach to his rallies was like a stand-up comedian honing an act. He means to elicit a response. He looks at the response and then he adapts.” Pincus said Greenland’s geographic position is strategically significant, but it also has a “wealth” of natural resources including rare minerals and a “limitless potential” for hydropower from the Greenland ice sheet. “You pair all those strengths and attributes with the population pursuing independence, it’s easy to understand why there would be increased interest in it,” she said. Romain Chuffart, the president and managing director of the Arctic Institute, pointed to Egede’s statement Tuesday that “[our] future and fight for independence is our business.” He noted that part of Greenland’s foreign policy strategy for the next decade is “nothing about us, without us.” Even with Trump pushing for acquisition and Denmark and Greenland soundly rejecting it, Chuffart said he views the chances of a standoff between the countries as “highly improbable.” But if one were to occur, it could damage U.S. credibility internationally, he added. “If such a scenario were to occur, it would represent a significant failure of U.S. diplomacy and deal a serious blow to the country’s foreign policy credibility on the global stage,” Chuffart said. Jim Townsend, a former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for European and NATO policy, acknowledged that China and Russia have been seeking to increase their influence in the region, as Trump has argued, but he said attempting to purchase Greenland is not the best way to address the issue. He mentioned the U.S. purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867 for strategic purposes and pointed out the world operates differently than it did then. “If there’s an issue here, you meet with the Greenlanders and with Denmark to try to fix what the U.S. is concerned about,” Townsend said.
Trump Jr. Lands in Greenland !
It appears Donald Trump, Sr. is quite serious about Greenland becoming part of the Untied States. He sent his son, Donald Trump, Jr. to that island nation today, on “Trump Force 1” which landed about an hour ago.
Meanwhile, President Trump’s other son, Eric, is now in Panama. Perhaps to talk about the Panama Canal?
HMMMMMMMM. . . . . .
Have you ever lost any respect for someone instantly?
I don’t know about you, but I was raised to behave respectfully from a young age; at the same time, I also learned early that behaving respectfully and truly respecting someone are two different things. Respectful behavior is a legitimate expectation, but real respect has to be earned.
My faith in the benevolence of all mankind was shaken when a drunken old man, a complete stranger who could have easily walked past me on the sidewalk, unexpectedly grabbed my hair, and brushed my head against the rough surface of a concrete wall. I was about five years old when this happened, and to this day I don’t understand why. But he didn’t lose my respect — because he never had it.
The same goes to most of my commanding officers in the army, or my former bosses in various workplaces, or for some kleptomaniac or deceitful “friends”. Most of them never earned my respect, so they couldn’t lose much of it.
There are though a couple of cases I’m still reluctant to share… But damn it, after so many decades I can tell someone about them.
- If someone insults me, I might get a little angry, but that kind of anger soon passes. However, when the offense involves someone I love, I am no longer so forgiving. It was one of my childhood friends who did this, and in such a hypocritical way, disparaging a young colleague behind her back and praising her to her face, that I couldn’t swallow it anymore. It took years for the estranged relationship to ease somewhat, but the old friendship and respect have not been restored to this day.
And I wasn’t even in love, I just liked her… - In the other case, my high school sweetheart not only broke my heart, but shattered all the positive thoughts and impressions I had regarding her. After almost a decade of tumultuous, on-and-off relationship, I got fed up with the permanent tug of war, and her frequent, always unfounded jealousy scenes, and for the first time in the history of the world I wanted to break up with her. So she tried to blackmail me with a non-existent pregnancy, completely forgetting that I knew her medical history almost better than she did, and I knew full well that she couldn’t get pregnant.
Bummer.
I dropped her.
She followed me around, almost stalked me for years, trying to reconcile with me, but I couldn’t see her as the woman I loved, not anymore. Love, respect, desire — all gone.
I also had some not-so-pleasant experiences with a couple of relatives; only those who have no relatives cannot understand this… But as they say in my corner of the world, it is not appropriate to air the family’s laundry in public. So, that’s all about this topic.
Fortunately, the cases described above were rather the exceptions. I got my relatives and most of my superiors “ready-made”, but I could always choose my friends; and for the most part my instincts were correct.
Now if you had asked the opposite question, about people disappointed in me, I could have written a juicy story or two; but for now I got away with it. Thanks.
What is your opinion on China’s espionage activities in the Philippines?
The Philippines does not have much intelligence value, and the Chinese government does not need to send spies to the Philippines.
Judging from the current international situation, the United States needs the Philippines to act like Ukraine, forcing China to go to war in the South China Sea, and then the United States gathers so-called allies to fight China, and finally the United States will reap the benefits.
China actually needs the Philippines to act like another failed Ukraine to test its military strength and rehearse for taking back Taiwan. For the Chinese, it is better to choose the Philippines as the battleground for the Sino-US rivalry than Taiwan because, after all, the Taiwanese are Chinese and the Chinese do not want civilian casualties in Taiwan. If it was a choice of two, China would certainly choose to sacrifice the Philippines over Taiwan.
Therefore, whether from the perspective of the United States or China, the Philippines needs to become the “Ukraine of Asia”, and sacrificing the Philippines is a matter of course.
The Philippines may still think that it is smart and that it is doing the right thing, but it does not realize that a great tragedy is about to happen.
Poor Filipinos, they have become the unjust ghosts of the test between China and the United States!
Twilight Zone Time Freezes
Russian Ambassador LEAVES U.S. – Takes Staff, Security, Crypto Gear and Classified Docs
Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, is “concluding” his diplomatic mission, Russian agencies reported late on Saturday.
“Russian Ambassador to the US, Anatoly Ivanovich Antonov, is concluding his Washington assignment and heading to Moscow,” Interfax agency cited a representative of the Foreign Ministry as saying.
The envoy will be returning to Moscow within hours.
HAL TURNER INTEL:
When the Ambassador left, his entourage took with them all the communications gear, cryptographic gear, classified documents, all Diplomatic Staff and – here’s the big “tell” — the entire Diplomatic Security Staff.
It is worth noting that Japan did similar things with their Embassy staff and gear, just prior to Pearl Harbor.
“It’s Getting WORSE And WORSE…” – Richard Wolff
He’s really right on this.
Why was the UK able to humiliate China so easily during the Opium Wars?
The main reason is that the rulers of the Qing Dynasty were a minority, and at this time, the Eight Banners Army of the Qing Dynasty was corrupt and vulnerable. In foreign wars, if defeated, the Qing rulers hoped to cede land and pay money, settle disputes, and maintain their rule.
They are more worried about the Han rebellion, so they dare not use nationalism to mobilize the largest number of Han people to resist the British invasion. If the Han people are mobilized, after repelling the British, the second overthrow may be the Manchu.
This consideration also occurred during the subsequent Sino Japanese War, when the Qing Dynasty gave up after a slight attack. But once foreign aggression intensifies, Han nationalism will inevitably be triggered.
Once triggered, firstly, the Qing Dynasty will perish, and secondly, it will fight the invaders to the end. This is the later history. Indeed, the Xinhai Revolution overthrew the Qing Dynasty, and in the subsequent War of Resistance Against Japan, China, as an agricultural country, fought against Japan as an industrialized country, persisting for 14 years and sacrificing 35 million people, but did not surrender, plunging Japan into a quagmire and causing continuous bloodshed. Eventually, Japan surrendered.
If China can’t even invade Taiwan, how could it possibly invade Japan?
Firstly, I was born and grew up in Taiwan.
Secondly, the statement “China can’t invade Taiwan” would have been true if it were made 30 years ago. It is nonsense in the current state of things.
Lastly, your question is comparing apples with oranges. China, or the typical Chinese mindset, sees these two in totally different contexts.
To China, Taiwan is a Chinese province destined to be recovered back into its fold, with its people regarded as Chinese citizens to be governed under the Chinese sovereignty eventually.
And Japan is a foreign nation that has committed massive, abhorrent, inhuman crimes against China without either fully, properly being held to account in the past or fully owning up to its moral liabilities today, while in the meantime having the nerve to threaten China’s security through tangible actions on a daily basis.
The goal of China’s “invasion”, or rather recovery, of Taiwan is to reclaim a piece of China’s own territory extorted from it by foreign imperial powers, most notably by Japan in 1895. This goal complicates the plan, as it is not sensible to bomb a piece of its own territory back to the Stone Age with thousands of cruise missiles.
China has no such scheme for Japan. Japan is not a province of China, and China has no interest in claiming its land or governing its people. To the Chinese mindset, it is just a nation that has slaughtered 30 million of its people in the most brutal and barbaric manner, and is showing increasing unrepentance and recalcitrance by the day again. If Japan ever meddles in Chinese or Taiwanese affairs ever again, what would happen?
It is like if your neighbor had killed your whole family, and now he is breaking down your door again, would you first think of how to occupy his house and make sure his kitchen remains intact so you could make dinner there tonight?
Not to mention that, you already reached a grudging truce with your neighbor that, you would let it go if he promised not to ever enter your house again. Now he is in your house again. Would you still let it go in honor of that fragile truce?
Herein lies the difference between Taiwan and Japan, in objective, and thus in degree of difficulty in action. One is much more challenging than the other, and that is not Japan.
Japan is easy.
What is Japan Likely to Do?
The Japanese know the above very well, except a handful of mouth-breathing octogenarian right-wing cockroaches still marching outside Yasukuni in imperial-era military uniforms. The other tough talking Japanese, whether it’s Ishihara, Aso, Takaichi, Koizumi, ishiba, or those saber-rattling cockroaches on the web, will all keep their heads down like mice and maggots should a conflict break out across the Taiwan Strait. None of them wants to see Japan ceasing to exist as a nation on this Earth because of his stupid impulse. This understanding will likely save Japan’s ass. If you don’t believe it, you can wait and see. It should be made obvious in pretty short order.
And China’s choice of action will be totally logical and understandable, just like the example of your neighbor above. With lessons learned twice in the past century at a price of over 30 million lives and countless properties lost, China simply cannot afford to take any chance again. Will you?
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
Fool me thrice?
Steak Diane
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 2 (6 ounce) filet mignons, thawed
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
- 1 teaspoon Brandy
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
Instructions
- Season both sides of steak with salt and pepper.
- Melt butter in a heavy skillet; add mustard and shallots. Sauté over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add steaks and cook for approximately 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare.
- Remove steaks to serving plate and keep warm.
- Add into pan drippings, 1 tablespoon butter, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and chives. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add brandy; pour sauce over steaks.
- Sprinkle parsley over the top.
Wife Has MELTDOWN After Husband Lets Kids Run Wild To Teach Her A Lesson About Undermining Him
Is the UK becoming a poor country due to recent economic and political events?
Becoming? The UK has always been poor outside London.
Think of the deep south in the USA. What do we think of.
We probably think of this
The UK is even poorer without London.
but here’s the thing, the UK is poorer AND stuff costs more. Think of petrol at $3 per litre.
What is the reason behind the strong reaction of Chinese people when their country is criticized?
That’s the wrong question. The right question should be this:
What is the reason behind the strong reaction of Chinese people when their country is demonized, lied about, insulted and belittled?
The answer is this:
The Chinese people don’t like to be demonized, lied about, insulted and belittled by jealous and retarded people.
I don’t believe Taiwan will not become the next Ukraine disasters neither did Ukraine. Do you?
As a non-Chinese who would love for the Chinese to re-take Taiwan by the simple expedient of blockading the island and starving it into submission, I regret to say that I am 100% sure the Chinese will never re-take Taiwan either by force of arms or anything else other than waiting patiently for Taiwan to rejoin of its own free will.
Why? I am not Chinese but I can think of a few good reasons –
1.Any kind of coercion of military action, no matter how quickly, cheaply or efficiently achieved, is going to leave China with a potential hotbed of dissidents, American-paid trolls, covert subversives, provocateurs and other subversives and give them easy access to the Chinese mainland. Let me simplify that by saying that China does not need to open its doors and hug a whole nest of snakes at any time in the future.
2.Regardless of how the Taiwanese regard the mainland Chinese, the mainland Chinese still regard the Taiwanese as brothers under the skin I hear. Stupid, I know, but the Chinese never claimed 100% intelligence. For China to forcibly take Taiwan with the risk of thousands of deaths instigated by America, the Taiwanese would have to do something that could over-ride the Chinese regard for a brotherhood unwelcomed by so many Taiwanese. And for all their blather, I don’t think the Taiwanese have quite sunk to the Japanese/Korean/Filipino level of intelligence yet.
3.China does not need or want to engage America on a warfront. Not ever, but most especially now or in the foreseeable future and most especially not over Taiwan, and send so many Chinese to their deaths in a war it could easily win by allowing America to self-destruct as America seems so determined to do nowadays.
4.Going to war over Taiwan would involve too much destruction of the things the Chinese have so carefully and so painstakingly built up over the last 20 years – their infrastructure, economy and heritage conservancy efforts come to mind. Re-taking Taiwan is important to Xi Jinping, I understand, but not one of his primary objectives I suspect – eradicating poverty fully, building a strong society, infrastructure and economy would be.
5.Trying to take back Taiwan would be playing into America’s hands. And the Chinese are not likely to give the American emperors that kind of satisfaction by any means.
I playfully mocked him for being ugly at a preparty with our friends but then he stood up & did this
Why do most luxury replicas come from China?
This is a Rolex Oyster Perpetual
It costs $ 8000
It’s among the lower end watches
The Higher end watches could be as much as $ 80,000-$ 100,000
It has six key patents – Oystersteel, Everose Gold, Rolesor keys, Chromalight, RLX Titanium & Europium Dysprosium Hybridization
This is a Fake Rolex that you can buy for 1300 HKD in Mong Kok Or around $ 168
5% what the Lowest Priced Rolex costs!!!!
It uses 3L Stainless Steel, Gold Plated Sterling Silver, Zinc Sulfide, Aluminum 7075
The cost of materials is 17% of the price of materials in a Genuine Rolex yet the performance and quality is close to 90% of an Original Rolex
The strap of 904L Stainless Steel can be purchased for 8% of what an Oystersteel copyright Rolex strap costs
China controls the supply chain for all the basic materials needed to make watches like seven grades of Stainless steel, Zinc Sulfide, Aluminum 7075 and Sterling Silver
It can make these materials for cents on the dollar
So it can easily make a Replica Rolex that can fool all but the experts (You do have fake rolexes for as little as 200 HKD but they are obvious to spot)
So China can easily make replicas at a fraction of the cost
When i was a kid, we had a Rodgers Penknife that was a rage among my generation of army brats
It cost ₹35/- in the late 1960s
The Americans made cheaper knives called PODGERS that sold for Six Bucks!!!!
Very little difference at 1/6 the price!!!
Back then US used to do exactly what China does and the world’s replica market was based on the UNITED STATES
Parisien fashions were replicated and sold for a tenth of the price in certain streets of New York and Chicago
A $ 60 Calf Leather Gloves sold in Bloomingdale could be had for $ 8 for Non Patent Leather just two streets away with the same label
An Original Mink stole cost $ 1200 in 1920 and a Fake Mink cost a mere $ 70 – $ 120
Today China does the same thing
Uses its abundant supply chain to make replicas at far lower cost
As a police officer, have you ever pulled over a celebrity?
Yeah. It was worthy of being told.
Pulled over for possible DUI
Me: May I see your license and registration?
Him: “Do you know who I am?”
Me: “You don’t know who you are? That is very serious.”
Him: “Do you know who I am?”
Me: “Sir, you must step out of your car. Not knowing who you are is possibly very serious.”
Him: “Dammit! Do you know who I am?”
Me: “Sir, if you do not get out of your car, I will have to forcibly remove you.”
Him: “F… y…”
I opened the car door, and gestured for him to get out. He did. I then turned him around, handcuffed him, and patted him down for weapons”
Me: “Sit on the curb and calm down. Once you calm down, I can remove the handcuffs.”
He sat down and glared angrily at the ground. After a bit he spoke.
Him: “I will have your badge for this.”
Me: “You don’t need my badge. You can have your own. Just complete the Los Angeles Police Academy and they will give you one for free.”
Him: “I’m gonna tell you who I am”
Me: “I just want your drivers license and registration.”
He started ranting about not knowing who he was again. So, I put him in the backseat of the patrol car, impounded his car ( we were on the freeway), and took him over to a mental hospital for a 72 hour forced commitment (5150 in California).
Two days later, my Captain called me aside. He said that was a great arrest. It turned out that the guy was one of the city’s councilman. The captain said again, “Good job.” I asked the captain if he was told to talk to me about the arrest. The captain said, “The brass told me to talk to you. I did that.” He laughed and walked away.
Spoiled Princess Rejects BF’s Proposal Telling Him To “Try Again”, Instead He Tells Her To Get Out!
Quandary
Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong.… view prompt
Lyle Closs
Then a very small door opened, a mechanical arm reached out and placed a spherical object on the ground, then retracted. The door closed with a hiss. Hot damn!
The object on the ground projected a hazy light that fuzzed in the air then formed a hologram in the air. It was a weird creature which made strange noises and waved its multiple arms, bowed then sat on the ground with its ‘hands’ held open and its head bent down. It seemed to be acting submissive or at least not aggressive. I sat on the ground and sipped my coffee and took a bite of my toast as I stared at it.
“What the hell are you?” I said.
The hologram creature was about six inches tall. It watched me drinking. I put the coffee cup down by the projector. The mechanical arm came out, picked up my coffee and lifted it into the craft. Seconds later it put the cup back, empty.
“Thirsty huh?”
I put the rest of my toast and honey down. That too quickly disappeared. The hologram alien clapped its hands and bowed ecstatically. I had the distinct impression it was out of food and drink. Whatever ‘it’ was.
Then another door opened and an actual alien dragged itself to the opening. It seemed to be in bad shape. It was just six inches tall. Ugly as sin too. Just like the hologram. Slimy white skin, six eyes in the hairless head, six arms, four legs. Clothes like silk, multi-colored, all tassels and baubles. Some weird idea of fashion.
It babbled at me, a high-pitched gurling sort of speech. “You’re a damn fool if you think I can understand a thing you’re saying,” I replied.
It held up a hand – wait – and dragged itself back inside. The spaceship made a noise like an engine trying to start. The alien came back to the opening and shrugged. I wondered how many gestures were standard across the universe. It was telling me the vessel wouldn’t start. Well, there’s not a lot I can do to help. I shrugged.
It collapsed. Struggled to sit up. Draped its legs over the edge of the opening and stared at me with all its sad little eyes.
The mechanical arm took the projection ball back inside then I heard clicks and hissing and, one by one, it brought out 11 matt black spheres about 3 inches in diameter and put them on the grass. I was puzzled.
Maybe it read my confusion. The projector was brought back out and showed a hologram of an alien apparently dying. I couldn’t tell what was killing it, maybe a poison or some kind of gas. Nothing obvious anyway. It collapsed, much like my alien buddy did just now. It didn’t move though. Then the hologram wrapped the body in a white cloth into a nearly spherical shape then put the wrapped body into a matt black sphere. The arm pointed to the 11 spheres on the grass.
I pointed to the alien in the opening and held up one finger. The hologram held up one finger. Alone.
Then the last one babbled again and tried to stand up but it fell out of the opening onto the grass. I reached out to touch it. It raised it little head, held out a couple of hands and touched my fingers, then it sagged and sighed its last. Dead.
“Bloody hell mate. Don’t tell me that means you’re all dead?” I knocked on the hull of the spaceship but thing appeared.
The mechanical arm lifted the body and wrapped it in cloth, pulled out a final black sphere, gently placed the body into the sphere and closed it. 12 matt black spherical coffins.
I heard a faint humming at the limit of my hearing and the spheres sank into the ground with 12 puffs of smoke or steam and disappeared. I didn’t know how deep they went but later I checked with my old metal detector and it found nothing, so they were at least a few feet in. I imagined them sinking down to the mantel and melting in the lava.
The projector started up again and showed a hologram of an alien looking at me and shrugging. I shrugged back. The spaceship couldn’t start and now had no crew. It didn’t know what to do.
I didn’t know what to do either.
If I tell anyone, the world and its military will descend on my peace and that will be the end of it. I might as well have shot someone.
But I have in my grasp the biggest event in the history of the world. Surely there can’t be just one spaceship? Is an invasion on the way? Could it be stopped if this spaceship was studied by the world’s experts? Could we learn how to reach the stars?
I didn’t think about it for long though. It wasn’t really a quandary. I moved my woodpile and it’s now covered so no-one can see it.
I sit out there most days and talk to it. Sometimes I hear soft humming like it’s still trying to start up. There’s a gap in the pile so the mechanical arm can come out any time it wants.
Occasionally it puts out the projector and the holo-alien shrugs. What can I do? I shrug back and we sit and stare at each other.
What Would World War III Really Look Like? It’s Already Starting…
Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us,
One of the most common assumptions I come across in the survival-sphere is the idea that the next world war would automatically necessitate global nuclear conflict and a Mad Max-like outcome. In other words, a lot of people assume we aren’t in a world war until the nukes start flying and the survivors are left fighting in soda can armor over an irradiated desert. This is a dangerous misunderstanding for a lot of reasons.
What people are overlooking is the fact that we are ALREADY in the middle of WWIII. They don’t realize it because they’ve based their entire concept of world war on Hollywood fantasy.
There are many ways in which wars are fought. In our current situation WWIII is being waged through proxies like Ukraine and Israel (and maybe Taiwan in the near future). The war is also being fought on the global economic stage using sanctions, inflation and the dumping of the US dollar as the world reserve. To be sure, these situations can easily escalate into something bigger and that is exactly what I suspect they will do. However, planetary nuclear war is the least likely scenario.
Survival and preparedness communities have a tendency to hyper-focus on the obviously Apocalyptic. We talk a lot about EMP strikes and split-second grid down calamities. We talk about solar flares, overnight economic crashes and nuclear holocaust. I think survivalists do this because it acts as a mental exercise – A way to better clarify what the best preparedness solutions are in the majority of cases, including the worst cases.
But as I’ve said for many years, collapse is a process, not an event.
These things happen slowly, and then all at once. If you went back in time ten years ago and warned people that in 2024 the US would be in the middle of a stagflationary crisis with a 30%-50% average price increase on all necessities, they would probably dismiss you as a doom-monger. Well, guess what, that’s exactly what a handful of alternative economists (myself included) were doing well over a decade ago, and we were dismissed over and over again – Welcome to our world.
The reason people refused to believe us is because the danger was not immediately obvious. The economic threat was not hitting them in their wallet yet. Stock markets seemed to be doing fine. The jobs market was still functioning somewhat normally. They could only view economic crisis through the lens of a total collapse. The idea that it would happen incrementally never crossed their minds.
Even today there are still people who argue that everything is fine. The stock market is “fine.” The labor market is “healthy.” If you suggest all is not well, you’re a “chicken little.” This is the incredible danger of having a Hollywood fantasy idea of collapse. We may never get to 100% systemic implosion; but even a 50% collapse is still a survival situation.
The same dynamic goes for WWIII. We must not overlook the dangers right in front of us simply because intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles aren’t crisscrossing the sky.
Consider the proxy battleground case for a moment.
In October of 2023 I published an article titled ‘It’s A Trap! The Wave Of Repercussions As The Middle East Fights “The Last War.”’ In it I stated:
“Israel is going to pound Gaza into gravel, there’s no doubt about that. A ground invasion will meet far more resistance than the Israelis seem to expect, but Israel controls the air and Gaza is a fixed target with limited territory. The problem for them is not the Palestinians, but the multiple war fronts that will open up if they do what I think they are about to do (attempted sanitization).
Lebanon, Iran and Syria will all immediately engage and Israel will not be able to fight them all – Hell, the Israelis got their asses handed to them by Lebanon alone in 2006. This will result in inevitable demands for US/EU intervention.”
I also warned on the potential motives behind escalation in the Middle East:
“The timing of the conflict in Israel is incredibly beneficial to globalists, and this might explain Israel’s bizarre intel failure [October 7th]. Just as US and British leaders had prior knowledge of a potential Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 but warned no one because they WANTED to compel Americans to fight in WWII, the Palestinian incursion serves a similar purpose.”
I my article ‘Iran vs Israel: What Happens Next Now That Shots Have Been Fired?’ published in April, I predicted:
“A ground war between Iran and Israel is inevitable if the tit-for-tat continues, and much of it will be fought (at least in the beginning) in Lebanon and perhaps Syria. Iran has a mutual defense pact with both countries and Lebanon is generally a proxy for Iranian defense policy.
Iran will have active troops or proxy forces in all of these regions, not to mention the Houthis in Yemen striking ships in the Red Sea. There are questions in terms of how Iraq will respond to this situation, but there’s not a lot of love between the current government and Israel or the US.”
Not surprisingly there was a contingent of people that argued these things would “never happen” and talk of war between Iran and Israel was “doom mongering.” Those people were wrong (yet again), and I was right. Iran and Israel have now essentially declared war on each other and are exchanging missile barrages as I write this. The ground war will begin in Lebanon and expand from there.
Just as in Ukraine, the looming danger is that war between Israel and Iran will draw in larger military powers like the US and Russia.
People dismiss this outcome because their modern conception of global war needs to change; this world war will not be fought exactly like those in the past.
This time the weapons of mass destruction will be financial and resource driven instead of nuclear. If Iran moves to blockade the Strait of Hormuz (which I believe is imminent), Americans can be harmed financially through energy shortages and gas price spikes even without our soldiers deployed to fight.
There’s also the question of our wide open borders and how many potential terrorists slipped into the US during the Biden Administration’s illegal immigration bonanza. How many attacks (or false flag attacks) are being organized right now?
The regional conflicts could spread and go on for a decade or longer. It all adds up to a world war, but it may never be officially declared a world war. Perhaps there will be a limited nuclear event somewhere; maybe a false flag or a limited strike. But a nuclear war is not necessary to create the kind of chaos the globalists are looking for.
People also need to understand that the powers-that-be also have a lot to risk should a war devolve into nuclear exchange. If it was really that easy for them to launch warheads, wipe out the majority of the human population and then establish a global dynasty, they would have done it a long time ago.
Global war on such a scale is inherently unpredictable. The elites have spent trillions of dollars and the better part of the last century constructing the most complex surveillance and control grid in history. It would be foolish to turn it all to ash in the blink of an eye and I highly doubt that’s the plan. They would be putting themselves and their legacy at risk of being erased forever.
Does this mean I will be ignoring the potential for a nuclear event? No. I will always keep it in mind and have preps ready just in case. A single nuke set off anywhere west of your home could result in radioactive fallout that would take around three to four weeks to dissipate. That said, the danger of these sceanrios might be overstated.
Here’s an interesting fact to ponder: The US government has tested at least 1050 explosive nuclear devices over the decades. Around 216 of those were atmospheric tests that resulted in massive fallout across the country. Some people in close proximity got sick over many years from these tests, but they didn’t result in an overnight mass death event. Perhaps, at a moderate distance, these weapons are not as dangerous as we’re led to believe?
The greater effect of nuclear weapons comes not just from the resulting damage to national infrastructure, but also mass psychological disruption. The economic system would take an immediate dive from even one strike, and it could be anywhere in the world. A single nuke in Ukraine would send shockwaves through already unstable markets. The supply chain and food supply could be quickly disrupted.
If the globalists wanted to accelerate a worldwide collapse, they wouldn’t need a nuclear war, just one well placed device.
The biggest danger from WWIII is not nuclear exchange, but the disturbing changes societies go through when conflict inspires mass fear. Totalitarianism is much easier to institute during such a war. Freedom of speech is often suppressed and criticism of the government is often criminalized. People who rebel against this are accused of “working with the enemy.” Military conscription is usually enforced and young people are sent off to die overseas over a conflagration that makes little sense.
The economy nose dives and the supply chain tightens. Price controls and rationing are initiated. Black markets flourish but those who participate are aggressively targeted by the government. In the case of the US, armed revolution in many states is a certainty.
Public planning should focus far more on these eventualities and less on Hollywood images of Apocalypse.
Shorpy
STAR-BABES & STARSHIPS 5:- HIGH-OCTANE SCI-FI ADVENTURE
His Ridiculousness Justin Trudeau Has Resigned
Good to hear that His Ridiculousness has finally deigned to resign from his post as Prime Minister of Canada.
Trudeau was of little importance to people outside of Canada. I have never written about him. But I will remember him for his fake wokeness which was as authoritarian as his use of emergency powers against truckers who protested against Covid restrictions.
Justin Trudeau and family meeting a native of India
biggerArend Feenstra, a Canadian, who, with his wife and eight kids, has recently emigrated to Russia, feels relieved:
Trudeau’s reign of terror is finally coming to an end! Many Canadians have seen their lives dramatically altered over the last 9 years, savings wiped out, health destroyed… feeling helpless and hopeless, many of us have fled to other countries in order to keep our children safe. Although Trudeau’s resignation will not undo all the damage that he has done, it is a great start and hopefully the beginning of an end to the destructive and divisive liberal policies that have destroyed the Canada we all knew and loved. May God continue to bless all our beloved Canadians this year and may good overcome evil!God bless you all! We wish you a merry Christmas and a wonderful new year from our new home here in Russia!
Arend’s family has a video channel, Countryside Acres, on which they document their life. Their latest video, posted just two hours ago, is a review of their first year in Russia:
Posted by b on January 7, 2025 at 15:25 UTC | Permalink
Samba Steak stir fry
Seasoned beef strips stir fried to perfection with vegetables, then topped with pico de gallo.
Prep: 18 min | Cook: 12 min | Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Pico de Gallo
- 3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped white onion
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons minced jalapeño pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Salt
Beef
- 1 pound round tip steaks, cut 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick
- 3 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced bell pepper, any color
- 1/2 medium white onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
- Salt
- 8 small whole wheat tortillas (about 6 inch diameter), warmed
Rub
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper
Instructions
Pico de Gallo
- Combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeño pepper and lime juice in a medium bowl. Season with salt, as desired.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Beef
- Stack beef steaks; cut lengthwise in half and then crosswise into 1 inch wide strips.
- Combine beef and rub ingredients in large bowl; toss to coat evenly.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot.
- Add bell pepper, onion and jalapeño; stir fry for 5 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from skillet; keep warm.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in same skillet until hot. Add half of beef; stir fry 1-2 minutes or until outside surface is no longer pink. (Do not overcook.) Remove from skillet; keep warm.
- Repeat with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and beef.
- Return all beef and vegetables to skillet. Season with salt, as desired.
- Serve beef mixture in tortillas; top with Pico de Gallo.
I’m With the Banned
Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Imagine a world where exploration is forbidden, and write a story about a character who defies this rule to satisfy their innate curiosity.… view prompt
Jeremy Stevens
This story contains sensitive content
“I mean, where, the first time?”
“Online.”
“Where online?”
“CuddlesClub. He said he was fifteen though…”
“And how long had you chatted with him, before…”
“Two months, maybe?”
“And when you met him…”
“He could have been fifteen, maybe.”
“But he wasn’t. You knew this, right?”
“Yes.”
“How did you know this?”
“Just the way you know things.”
—–
“But she’s only twelve.”
“The State does not give her permission.”
“She was raped.”
“Better than being a murderer.”
—–
Noam is playing with blocks on the floor. He uses them not only to build, but to spell. His latest word is “dim”; his phrase: We are a dim lot. Noam is going on four.
Naomi and I are cuddling on the torn loveseat. She entered my life when Noam was born. I am sixteen now; Naomi is nineteen. Naomi named him Noam, said it was a good name, said it meant “pleasantness” and that Noam Chomsky said we are born with “innate linguistic aptitude.”
“It’s a silent ‘fuck you’ to the suppression from the State,” she told me.
I didn’t get it at all then. I get it a bit more, now.
Naomi kisses my cheek, and hums Jack Johnson: …it’s so much better when we’re together.
—–
We are huddled in the shanty. The rain has finally stopped, so Naomi has gone out looking for food. So long as she stays to the alleys, she should be fine. Better food there, anyhow. Lots of restaurants; lots of waste. Last week her foraging yielded an unopened bag of pre-cooked, deveined, tail-removed shrimp. Noam found it delightful.
I was twelve when my parents were imprisoned. My father’d called the judge a sick beast and away they went, both of them. I was sitting behind them with some person in a white robe.
Now now, she tapped my knee. Now now.
I was fat with child and my back hurt. Heavily medicated, I haven’t much memory of those times. Naomi says there’s much we are not allowed to do. Being together is one of them.
“What happens if they find us together?”
“Just stick to the script.”
But Naomi is white, which is also a problem.
“Who’ll believe we’re sisters, Naomi? You’re white and I’m…”
Naomi just kisses me then. It is a hard kiss. Passionate. She grips the nape of my neck and puts her forehead to mine. “Sweet angel, I do so love you.”
—–
At four, Noam is still a thumb sucker. Despite our attempts at potty training he still has to wear diapers, and still Noam cannot speak intelligible words. His block spelling has plateaued. While we have no reliable source for nutrition, Naomi is resourceful and provides our RDA of the necessary food groups but still Noam’s eyes are jaundiced, his gums are bleeding, his skin is scaly. He’s been given to highs of rage and lows of slurping depression. He’s pulled out most of his hair; his fingertips and nails are nubbbed from scratching our earthen floor. I’ve tried to love on him —we both have— and sometimes he’ll relent but more often he’ll gnash and growl.
“What do you think the problem is, Naomi?”
“How well did you know his father?”
—–
It was on one of her last forays that Naomi returned with books. “I found them in the dumpster,” she exclaimed delightedly, “all brand new.”
Governor DeSatanist. We both knew it, but we dared not speak of it, FOR JESUS CHRIST HATH DECREED THAT the right the abort, the right same sex, the right to read, THE RIGHT TO EXPLORE OPTIONS are no longer rights, but SINS, all in the names of murder! defilement! propaganda!
“Oh, Naomi, what beautiful treasures. The Giving Tree. What in the world?”
“Sexist.”
“Exploring Civil Rights: The Movement.”
“Racially motivated.”
“Bridge to Terabithia? I loved this book.
“Promoting the occult.”
“Where the Wild Things Are.”
“Again. Too demonic, they say.”
“All of these were tossed? The Outsiders (too violent!), To Kill a Mockingbird (too mature!)…oh, I love this one but never heard of it: My Moms Love Me.”
We both looked down at our four-year-old, teething on a sandal.
—–
There is heavy foot traffic outside our tin-roofed shanty. They are marching in unison. Regimental, a tap-tap on the door: big bad white men instilling fear in two biracial dykes and a bastard invalid. We know why they are here. Surprised it took them so long.
The walls of our shanty are now lined with books: banned books, we assume, for they’d all been discarded. Several months ago, we’d opened our doors for exploration, purely word of mouth quite naturally as we —Naomi and I, and Noam— are not known to exist, not any longer. (For it’s been assumed, we assume, that we were wiped clean during the last fumigation, we fitting all their criteria of filth, after all.) Prior to finding us, our people had been fed the The History You Need to Know twenty-volume series; The Jesus Christ Giver’s Guide: How to be a Good Citizen; and The Lives of Hunter and Paisley five-volume series (Birth-Elementary Homeschool; Homeschool in the Neighborhood; College is not Necessary; Adulting with People Like You; Growing Old Quietly and Respectfully).
For the past several months, though, we’ve allowed our people to travel, to read with delight words that are actually said, emotions that are actually felt. Our people have been able to find comfort in words, healing words, words that have allowed them to transcend the NORM and to explore the lives of others, the majesty of foreign lands without the privilege of escape from this, our “home of the free because of the brave,” words and emotions that are now SINS because…because…
is there one right answer here?
Because independent thought is treachery. An enemy of progress.
Because “who controls the past controls the future, and who controls the present controls the past.” Because “the best books are those that tell you what you already know.”
Orwell, too, has been banned, of course. But we have him in our library.
Had, for we have been discovered.
—–
We are not going to be stoned, or burned like witches. We are not going to the rack or the gallows, or the chair. We are not going to be strapped to a gurney and punctured with needles. We are not going to be shot, or even gassed.
Our “fumigation” is the now-proverbial Jim Jones’ Drinking the Kool-Aid, though still we get to live, very much like the donkeys at the end of Pinocchio, also banned for its debauchery on Pleasure Island: as sheep in the fields, after the surgeries are complete, we shall follow without question, we shall bleat unintelligibly, we shall chew the cud from dawn ‘til dusk with those indistinguishable from ourselves.
We shall cause no further problems. We shall be obedient.
On my anniversary, he gave me a gift box but when i opened it, it were pictures of me & my affair
https://youtu.be/C4fgZ56gjl0
After F-35’s Detected, Israel Preparing Large Surface-to-Surface Missile Launches at Iran
After the Russian government alerted Iran to the approach of four F-35 stealth jets toward Iran from the Persian Gulf yesterday, which reportedly caused an abort to that mission, Israel is now preparing surface-to-surface missile launches.
Information about Israel’s ballistic missile capabilities is sparse, but here’s what we know about the “likely” missiles to be used, which is speculated to be “Jericho II” missiles, seen in the FILE PHOTO above.
The Jericho II (YA-3) is a solid fuel, two-stage long-range ballistic missile system and a follow on from the Jericho I project. As many as 90 Jericho 2 missiles are currently based in caves near Zekharia (Sdot Micha Airbase), southeast of Tel Aviv.
Jericho II development began in 1977, and by 1986 there were reports of test firings. According to Missilethreat.com, a project of the George C. Marshall Institute, there is evidence the Jericho II originated as a joint Israeli-Iranian project, cooperation that ended with the loss of friendly relations after the 1979 Iranian Revolution overthrew the Shah’s rule.
There was a series of test launches into the Mediterranean from 1987 to 1992, the longest at around 1,300 km, mostly from the facility at Palmachim, south of Tel Aviv. Jane’s reports that a test launch of 1,400 km is believed to have taken place from South Africa’s Overberg Test Range in June 1989.
The Jericho II is 14.0 m long and 1.56 m wide, with a reported launch weight of 26,000 kg (although an alternative launch weight of 21,935 kg has been suggested). It has a 1,000 kg payload, capable of carrying a considerable amount of high explosives or a 1 Megaton yield nuclear warhead.
It uses a two-stage solid propellant engine with a separating warhead. The missile can be launched from a silo, a railroad flat car, or a mobile vehicle. This gives it the ability to be hidden, moved quickly, or kept in a hardened silo, largely ensuring survival against any attack. It has an active radar homing terminal guidance system similar to that of the Pershing II, for very accurate strikes.
The Jericho II forms the basis of the three-stage, 23 ton Shavit NEXT satellite launcher, first launched in 1988 from Palmachim. From the performance of Shavit it has been estimated that as a ballistic missile it has a maximum range of about 7,800 km with a 500 kg payload.
The Jericho II as an available Israeli counterattack option to Iraqi missile bombardment in the 1991 Gulf War is disputed. Jane’s at the time believed that Jericho II entered service in 1989. Researcher Seth Carus claims that, according to an Israeli source, the decision to operationally deploy the Jericho-2 was only made after 1994, several years after the Scud attacks had ended and a cease fire and disarmament regime were in place.
Raytheon Technologies, quoting Soviet intelligence archives, showed them believing the Jericho-2 to have been fully developed weapon in 1989, but did not indicate when it was available for deployment.
Investigators for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace accessed commercial satellite images of the Sdot Micha Airbase near Zachariah, a suspected Jericho missile base, comparison shows expansion between 1989 and 1993 of the type that would accommodate suspected Jericho II launchers and missiles. Such an expansion would be more consistent with a post-1991 deployment chronology.
It is presently unknown how many such missiles Israel has.
US Military Sending More Assets
Additional Aerial-Refueling Tankers with the U.S. Air Force are enroute to the Middle East this morning, possibly ferrying a Squadron of F-22s, F-16s, or F-15Es which the Pentagon had previously stated would be Deploying soon to the Region.
Shown below, two KC-46A Pegasus tankers (reg: 20-46074 & 20-46073) from McGuire Air Force Base One C-5M Super Galaxy (reg: 86-0012) One C-17A Globemaster (reg: 01-0188) likely heading to the Middle East:
WaPo Editors – Ending The War Is Worse Than Losing
The Washington Post editors have long argued for prolonging the war in Ukraine.
In November 2022, when Ukraine was in a good position to negotiate an end to the war, they argued against it:
Mr. Zelensky and his supporters in the West undoubtedly understand that peace talks might eventually be necessary, his commitment to victory notwithstanding. And yet to declare that, or even imply it, before the time is right — before Ukraine’s armed forces have exhausted every opportunity to regain occupied territory — would convey slackening commitment. And that, in turn, can only convince Mr. Putin that time is on his side and that he should prolong the fighting.
Since then Ukraine’s armed forces have exhausted every opportunity to regain occupied territory – and failed. Russia was then and is now convinced that time is on its side.
Now, finally, the editors acknowledge that their war against Russia in Ukraine is lost. But they still insist that this can not be allowed to be formalized in a ceasefire or peace treaty.
While they are stomping their feet they fail to present an alternative:
Ukraine risks losing the war. A Trump-imposed bad deal would be worse. (archived)
A settlement that dismembers Ukraine and rewards Putin will undermine U.S. credibility.
As Russia is the dominating power in the war in Ukraine there will only be one deal that can be had. It will be along the parameters the Russia’s President Putin has laid out. That deal will certainly be less than optimal for the U.S. side but how would it be ‘worse’ for Ukraine than losing the war?
As for ‘credibility’:
A pullback now would convey that the United States and its allies lack staying power and that their promises come time-stamped as valid only until the next election date. How might China take such a message as its autocratic president, Xi Jinping, contemplates whether to make a military move to try to seize the self-governing democratic island of Taiwan?
The U.S. ‘lack of staying power’ is a feature of its democracy. It is well known that U.S. citizen’s opinions about supporting a war tend to change over time. Just ask the Vietnamese or the Taliban for experience with this. No unrealistic fear mongering about China will change that fact.
It is however good to learn that the editors (finally) see the situation of Ukraine as unsustainable as it is:
Ukraine is also losing troops at a rate far beyond what it can sustain and continue fighting. The official casualty estimate of 400,000 killed or wounded is considered a vast undercount. Thousands of exhausted Ukrainian soldiers are deserting the front lines.
The editors know that it is over for Ukraine but they still reject to acknowledge the consequences. They say that a deal over Ukraine, any deal, would be bad but there is not even a hint of what an alternative might be:
Ukraine can hardly survive another year of this devastating war. But the haste to find a negotiated settlement could produce a bad one that would reward Mr. Putin for his land grab and guarantee he will launch a new attack for more territory once he has a chance to rebuild his depleted arsenal. A poor settlement would also leave Ukrainians bitter after seeing their homes, schools and factories destroyed, and friends and family members killed. Much of their anger would be directed at the Western backers who betrayed them. This is a fight America, and Ukraine, cannot lose, especially with a bad deal.
The war is lost. A hasty settlement will be bad. Russia will be embolden and the Ukrainians will be sad.
But what else is there to do? The editors don’t know. They thus close with a sentence that does not even (‘cannot lose’) make sense.
Posted by b on January 7, 2025 at 16:38 UTC | Permalink
My Cheater GF Loses It After I Pretend To Be In An Open Relationship For 2 Months And Then Dump Her
Head games are terrible. Do not do it.