When I was a young boy, say around 3rd grade, my parents bought me a dog. She was a Siberian Husky named Belle. She was a good dog.
At the time, I didn’t know it, but I was more of a cat person than a dog person, but still I loved that dog and we would go and take walks out together.
Being a husky, that dog would pull me everywhere. There was no way that any of my younger siblings or sisters could walk the dog because she was so strong. So it fell on my shoulders to walk the dog, and my father, as always would say “you’re the big brother; you have the responsibility to walk the dog”.
And so in that small down, I would walk the dog, when in actuality it would be a walking me. And as such I became a fixture in that town… and the butt of many jokes.
I never gave it much thought. I guess that I was too young.
Or, perhaps it was the Western Pennsylvania culture; to “razz” and to give young boys a dish-load of “shit” to turn them into men. Or, perhaps they were all just simply assholes.
In hindsight, and from living in different cultures, I see today just how absolutely fucked up the American culture is.
When you take something innocent; a boy walking his dog” and turn it into a reoccurring town joke… that’s just evil, cruel and mean.
Is that the American culture?
Being evil, cruel and mean?
I don’t know, but one thing I do know is that “jazzin” your friends is quite different than from being the “town joke”.
And unless stopped, those (more idiotic in the crowd) don’t learn about fences and boundaries. And they fail, and fail to learn up until they are big boys and girls” and become offensive to the wrong person at the wrong time.
I’m learning so much.
So late.
Today…
Do American tourists really stand out when they visit the UK?
Not the UK but I’m a Brit so I feel I can add to this.
The location was Auschwitz Poland. On a guided tour my wife and I had the misfortune to be accompanied by a group of Americans. I will be honest, I cried for pretty much the whole tour. I’m generally not that emotional but it truly is that moving and traumatic a place to visit. The group of Americans laughed and joked for pretty much the whole time, even in the last remaining gas chamber. They even posed for selfies outside the cattle car that transported people to their deaths. One was collecting soil from around a pond that contained the ashes of countless people and putting it in his pocket. I’m not a violent man but my wife had to restrain me on a couple of occasions. They were so bad that I was almost driven to violence in a place that had already seen far too much.
I’m sure there must have been other Americans there who showed respect but this particular group were truly the most awful, disrespectful bunch of odious cunts (I know this word upsets some people but I honestly couldn’t come up with a better one to describe them) I have ever had the misfortune to encounter.
Why do Americans on Xiaohongshu start replying to a Chinese named“Li Hua” ？
What has made Russia and North Korea such popular countries worldwide today? Is it their bravery, their culture, or their gorgeous, hot men?
They dance with the invisible ones
Their anguish is unsaid
Sokolniki Park in northern Moscow, Russia has been traditionally a place where older people like to hang out. By the main entrance next to the large rotunda, elderlies and everyone else are invited every evening to dance.
There aren’t many men left alive, and when a slow song is played on the stereo, you see widows, single women, and divorcees dance alone. It’s a truly sad sight. This country has been at war for so long with foreign and internal enemies that most of the women spend their declining years without a spouse by their side.
With the ongoing war in Ukraine, the situation will be exactly the same for the next generation of women. They do not understand it yet and think in terms of husband’s wages and social benefits.
Husbands who do return alive suffer from PTSD and wounds and their lifespan has already been cut by several years or decades. And so these women too will dance alone in the park and pretend that they have spouses holding them close and whisper words of love and devotion.
Half of the surveyed Russians say that they feel they have been successful in life. It’s all about what a person FEELS and rather than what he KNOWS or the facts at his disposal that influences his actions.
Speaking of feelings. Sociologist Igor Eidman unlike his colleagues had predicted that Russian economy would NOT collapse and Putin’s regime would NOT be dismantled by disgruntled oligarchs nor a popular revolt.
He is skeptical about Trump being able to achieve peace in Ukraine in the next one hundred days. He claims that “it’s not about vague threats from Trump, but about the fact that Putin, as we know, never does anything under open pressure, so as not to show his weakness, which Trump directly hints at. So now Putin will definitely not go along with Trump’s wishes. Don’t expect any deal in the near future, and negotiations about it are highly questionable.”
And so more Russian and Ukrainian women will dance alone.
Why don’t we just have giant fans at the end of 100 foot runways for planes landing?
A 737 lands about 150 mph. So you have this large aircraft — which can be 138 feet long depending on the model of the 737, suddenly enter this blast of fan-produced air which will slow its ground speed to zero. Except it’s too long to fit on the 100 foot runway — let’s make it a 200 foot runway.
You would have to precisely have the fan-produced wind be broad enough to affect all the plane’s wing lift surfaces (117 foot wingspan, 41 foot high tail), and then you theoretically you could land in 200 feet. But if there’s a mistake the plane drops out of the sky before the runway, and may overrun the runway and collide with your giant fans.
Then, of course, you need taxiways and a conventional runway for takeoff.
What happens if a person who orders pizza takes the pizza and refuses to pay?
Oh boy! Do I have a story for you!
This happened literally last week. I work at a small Pizza Hut, and I got a delivery to a person that shall remain nameless.
The first thing you should know is that delivery drivers always remember you. We remember if you areally a great tipper or a cheap guy, and we gossip amongst each other.
Anyways, I showed up to this guy’s house. He had a reputation in our store for being a bit of an asshole, so I was already wary. When he answered the door, he tried to pay with a hundred. We’re not allowed to take payment in hundreds, so I refused to take it. He argued with me for a moment, but then closed the door, cursing. After a moment, he opened the door and said that he had $30 (his bill was $26.99). At this point, I just took him for his word and took the money without counting it.
He only gave me $20.
I was on the hook for the other $7. I reported him to my manager, and she flagged him in our database. We won’t deliver to him anymore. If he wants pizza, he can come in and pick it up.
Why China is racing ahead in AI, and in everything else: their whole economy is open source
What was your first combat experience as a Marine?
Joined after 9/11, really knew nothing about the USMC or what I was getting into but since everybody else was joining to go fight in Afghanistan, I figured it was my time to do my part.
Iraq literally kicked off two weeks after I joined lol. Talk about timing. Went through boot camp and all the other training and was stationed with an infantry unit at Pendleton. As soon as I got to my unit, they told me we were leaving for Iraq. Yes, we were all scared. We may not have acted like it but we were.
We flew from Kuwait into Iraq and we’re staying in some tents at an air base temporarily until a helicopter could come out and fly us to the Western part of Iraq.
I’m laying down listening to some music with headphones on and next thing I know, my staff sergeant comes over, grabs a hold of me, tells me to get my s*** on and head to the berm. If you don’t know what a berm is, it’s basically just a big pile of sand.
I grabbed my rifle, my flak jacket and my helmet and I take off running with all the other marines. I look up in the sky and mortars are flying down all around us. It’s one of those moments where you realize that all the training in the world is not going to save you from this. If one hits you, it’s over. It was six mortars in total but when it’s happening, it feels like 100. You don’t know when they’re going to stop and where they’re going to land.
KEEP IN MIND THIS WAS MY FIRST DAY IN IRAQ.
Throughout the remainder of that deployment, my platoon hits 7 IEDs. Two of those went off on my vehicle. We got in numerous different engagements and the base was mortared continuously. For those you guys that went to Iraq later, we did not have CRAMs back then. Mortar fire was a serious thing.
I’m not going to lie to you man, I was a pretty motivated and hardcore Marine prior to that deployment. After that, I never want to go to war again. It did not make me tougher. It made me weaker. Guys in my unit got killed, I saw a lot of innocent civilians get killed and I don’t want any young man to have to go through that.
I ended up deploying to Iraq for a second tour but it was completely different. Didn’t hit a single IED and only fired my rifle one time at an Iraqi guy that did not stop at our checkpoint. That was it.
Vietnam was probably the same way but depending on when you were over there and what part of the country you’re in, your experience is going to be completely different. I know Marines that sat on a base and did nothing their whole deployment and I know other Marines who had the fight for their life in a different part of the country.
You’ll often hear people say that vets don’t like to talk about that stuff. It doesn’t bother me to talk about it. It bothers me because I lived it. Talking about it doesn’t necessarily make it better or worse. Thinking about it does. And yes, PTSD is a real thing. It’s not like the movies. For me, it’s just a constant state of anxiety and fear related to having to spend 7 months in a place where you’re constantly getting bombarded by mortars and IEDs. We all have a safety net when we haven’t had much to fear in life. When you go through something like that, that safety net is gone.
Does the rapid rise in China’s robot manufacturing mean that China wants to keep all manufacturing jobs in China, with fewer new factories in India, Vietnam, and other countries?
No, that’s not the goal.
In fact, China lost tens of millions jobs in the last decade, with the migrant labor particularly hard hit, especially those past 40.
Nowhere is this more apparent than China’s live births, which has cratered while India enjoys its day as the demographic dividend king heading towards a 1.7b peak.
The low skilled jobs left china due to the reverse Plaza accord, as the rest of the third world devalued massively relative to the yuan, taking the yen’s lead. China was threatened with currency manipulation designation by the US Treasury to keep the yuan strong. As the forex Shockwave wore off, Donald upped the ante with illegal tariffs which escalated into widespread sanctions and a tech war under Joe.
Today, if one is looking for low cost, stable production, there are plenty of options offering tax breaks, utilities discount, infrastructure subsidies and help with red tape. These are mostly products with year-round demand that are labor intensive but low-skill.
As it turns out, China is taking advantage of the wage arbitrage to import these items for the domestic market. A strong yuan brings its own bonanza, as Chinese factories set up shop overseas to extend the life of traditional business models.
Now, where do the Chinese reinvent themselves in the low-price goods segments?
One avenue is to specialize in fulfilling time sensitive or seasonal demand, such as election campaigns and Christmas ornaments. If one needs a big order of say MAGA hats and posters tomorrow (I exaggerate), all it takes is a phone call to a Chinese agent who can scrounge up the spare capacity in a dozen Chinese factories and arrange consolidated shipping on FOB terms for guaranteed delivery within say, 45 days. Best thing is, he doesn’t ask for an arm and leg, with the rush order premium reasonable.
Cost aside, one will be hard pressed to find similar terms quoted elsewhere.
The Chinese are driving incredibly hard bargains, so hard in fact the competition is being squeezed out.
In the domestic market, the Chinese survive by offering variety on a whole new level, or deliver lux/premium offerings at mass market prices. This is often married with a vertically integrated eco-system from raw materials/labor to marketing/final mile delivery, such as temu and shein. The manufacturing model resembles a beehive in the form of cooperative small batch production directed by an AI-driven market-demand manager.
China makes the hard money in order to survive.
If we delve deeper into automation, ai and machine learning has revolutionized manufacturing. Processes that were considered beyond robots just 2 decades ago are now routine.
Rather than say, hire 100,000 workers to assemble phones, a factory today may hire less than a thousand engineers and technicians to operate a light-free facility that churns out defect-free devices at astonishing speeds with amazing consistency.
The above isn’t science fiction. Such factories already exist, and more are being built.
The advantage of automation is the ease of scaling. Shutting down a line can affect 10,000 workers in the traditional labor-intensive model. But it is a matter of engineers turning off machines in the automated factory. Similarly, scale-up is limited by materials logistics rather than labor.
Automation helps China stay relevant in the new world of business.
I can go on but this will suffice for now.
Pronto Pasta Bake
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Rotini pasta, uncooked
- 2 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 (48 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 2 ounces (1/2 cup) fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
- Chop zucchini with food chopper. Using garlic press, press garlic into classic 2-quart batter bowl. Add zucchini, spaghetti sauce and basil.
- Grate Parmesan cheese with Deluxe Cheese grater.
- In 9 x 13 inch baker, layer one third of the spaghetti sauce mixture, half the pasta, one third of the sauce mixture and half of each of the cheeses. Repeat layers with remaining pasta, sauce and cheeses; cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake 45 minutes.
- Uncover and continue baking 5 minutes.
- Serve with toasted garlic bread if desired.
Attribution
Pampered Chef
My Secret Life
Submitted into Contest #281 in response to: Write a story that includes the line “Be careful what you wish for.”… view prompt
Alan Hancock
My Secret Life Alan Hancock 2024
2,660 wds
When I put this story together I was wondering where to start. And I thought, let’s start at the beginning, a long time ago in another place a very long way from here.
So, to start from the beginning. When I was a boy I loved stories about people who had a secret. Some of them were true stories and some were made up. But it didn’t make any difference to me. They were all just as good, as long as they had a secret.
I read this story about a gang of kids who called themselves the Secret Seven. They formed this kind of junior secret society, a kiddie vigilante group who went round helping the police catch criminals. Brilliant. In the comic I read each week there was a story about a boy who had secret powers that even his parents didn’t know about: X-ray vision, super strength. I liked that.
Then there were the kids in my class at school. Some of them had secrets, some of them had a secret life. Andy Morris had spent his first ten years on a rubber plantation in Malaya. Out there in the jungle he and his brother had their very own maid. Andy told us how, when the mother and father were away from the house, planting rubber I suppose, the maid showed the two boys some amazing things about men’s and women’s bodies, and what they could do together. Andy never told his parents about these special, lessons. They were a secret. Now how come that kind of thing didn’t happen to me?
Heather MacAlpine sat in the row behind me at school. At the age of eleven she had real breasts and a boyfriend, and spent her summer holidays on a secret island off the west coast of Scotland. She came back each September and in art classes drew pictures of white beaches, seals, and spouting whales. She had a secret or two.
But not me. I was plain ordinary, normal, boring. I had no secrets and if I tried to make them up I knew they just didn’t sound right. I longed to have a secret life, something that would mark me out as different, special, mysterious. I waited and waited for my secret to appear. But it didn’t. And then one day much later, it did.
Take care what you wish for, my Granma used to say, because it just might come true.
+ + +
The first clue is a memory. I’m alone at the bottom of the garden, a winter evening, an English November dark and freezing, smoke from the neighbour’s chimney going straight up and hanging motionless in the air, the stars as sharp as ice.
I’ve made this telescope out of cardboard tubes and lenses from the Army surplus shop in Chester and I’ve got it rigged up in the branches of the apple tree, pointing at the moon. The white craters and the mountains. It’s another world. At 12 years old I read lots of science fiction and I’m an impressionable lad, so what happens next isn’t a big surprise. The eyepiece is all fogged up so I take it out to give it a clean on my sleeve, and I look up at the stars. And then.
Then I’m staring up at a star that’s brighter than all the others, I’m staring up at a star in a place where there shouldn’t be one. And the star is moving, and getting bigger and brighter. No noise, just the light, a brilliant blue-white. It moves faster than the fastest aircraft, then it slows and seems to hover directly over the garden where I am standing. Something happens but It’s too big for me to take in. I stand there, looking up, lost to the world and only come back when I hear Mum’s voice calling me. ‘Al, tea time!’ I had no idea how long I’d been standing there.
I never tell anyone what I’ve seen. No reason, just silence. It’s a secret.
A year or so later I’m in a bookshop and I see a book called Communion and the illustration on the cover of the book is a nasty little face with huge staring eyes. I know straight away that it’s all wrong. Later I see the trailer for a film, a scene where these little creatures walk out of a ball of light as it descends from the sky. I find myself smiling: it’s so silly.
I have a vivid imagination. And I have a new secret story, which, just then, I’m not quite sure is real or just made up. How many bright new stars in the sky? How many memories waiting to return?
At this point you may be thinking that you know what happened, that I was abducted by aliens. Yes, I was, but not like in the books and movies. It wasn’t an X-files kind of experience. It wasn’t the greys or the guys in black or the big tall ones that they reckon are a bit more friendly. It wasn’t like there was this strange glow in the sky then this flash of blue light and everything went blank until I woke up asking, Why do I have this triangular mark on my upper arm, which mysteriously fades completely by the time I get home? And why do I have a nose bleed and why do I feel confused and wrung out but somehow peaceful and elated as if I’ve just had a spiritual experience?’
No. It wasn’t like that at all. You’re just jumping to conclusions. This is even more weird.
Fifty-two Earth years ago I was abducted from the photon belt which surrounds the star Alcione in the constellation of the Pleiades, approximately 450 light years from here. It’s all coming back to me very clearly now, and I think it’s time I told you all. I didn’t use to look like this at all. In the Pleiades I wasn’t a theatre studies lecturer and I didn’t have a house in North Lake or a Toyota Corolla: I was very different. I was an entity of the fourth density vibrating at a level far higher than can be perceived by humans. I was a manifestation of life force energy that sort of flickered and buzzed and was all joined up with all the other energy forms out there in the photon belt. So there wasn’t any conflict or separation, or shopping or therapy groups. It was all just this kind of flow that everything joined in. It was really nice.
But then I got abducted. Suddenly I was in this brightly lit room full of strange creatures. I now realise that this was the maternity ward of the West Birmingham Hospital in England, Europe, Earth, the solar system. And I had been abducted by Donald and Phylis Hancock, and outside it was freezing cold, and I had a body, which came as a big surprise. A bit later I got used to it and I couldn’t remember anything of my previous life in the Pleiades. It was all very upsetting. Then something happened and I remembered – everything. That was later. We’ll come to that bit soon.
There were lots of clues, if I’d known what to look for. As a boy I was fascinated by anything to do with astronomy and the only books I ever read were science fiction. I always thought that Dr Who and Star Trek were more like documentaries than made-up stories, and you know that bit in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ where the astronaut goes zooming down this space-time warp thing and ends up in another dimension. It made a big impression on me. I was never quite the same after I saw that.
Then, the other week, it happened, and I knew. I was out in the bush and it was a pitch-black night and the sky was full of stars. I found myself looking at the Pleiades, and this thought just popped into my head, ‘I wonder what it’d be like to live in the Pleiades?’ That’s when it all came back.
The higher dimension, the entities of pure Light Force which form a single pulse of radiant energy, the oneness, the complete absence of hassles with stuff like making friends, and getting stuck in the checkout queue at K-mart and projecting unwanted aspects of self onto complete strangers, so you either get inexplicably infatuated with the new secretary at work, or develop a deep loathing for someone at the next table in a cafe who talks into a mobile phone for half an hour in a VERY LOUD VOICE.
In fact, I could remember clearly that up there in the aural glow of the photon belt there was a complete lack of anything to do with self whatsoever. There were no secrets. And I was wondering if you could get there like in ‘2001’ where there’s this big whoosh and you just kind of go surfing along a space-time discontinuity and end up absolutely miles away, back home.
Now I think of it, I’ve often felt like I don’t quite fit in, here on Earth I mean, not just as a migrant in Australia or North Lake. Maybe it’s because I don’t actually come from here. Maybe lots of other people feel the same way, but they just don’t dare say in case their friends think they’re turning into fruit-loops. But my therapy group reckon it’s worth taking the risk, as long as you’re in a supportive environment, so I thought this would be a good time to have a go at writing it all down and see what happens.
Back to my story. I get used to living on this planet, along with all the other Earthlings, and I try to make sense of it all: life on planet Earth in a time of global conflict, anxiety, and conspiracy theories. So, when I read the newspaper or watch tv it’s more like a travel guide. I get lots of information about the place and how it all works. And lots of questions. Like why do some people keep secrets and then why do they confess?
On the news, there’s this story about a man who walks into a police station one sunny day and he says, ‘It was me. I did it. I confess. Twenty years I’ve been carrying this secret round, and I had to tell someone. It was me. I confess.’ And as they lead him off to the cells he has this relaxed look on his face, like he’s happy, at last.
On a tv show, a couple is sitting down at home, and they look a bit tense. And the man says, ‘There’s something I have to tell you. I don’t know how to say this. But, you know when I went to that conference at Surfers Paradise last year. I met this woman from the Sydney office.’
You just know it’s going to get him into a whole heap of big trouble, but it’s too late now, he’s off. He’s confessing. Like me right now, confessing my own secret, maybe getting myself into trouble.
A few weeks ago I was watching this video about a strange American man who is so far out there in the new age that he’s on another planet. Literally. I’m watching it with a bunch of people some of whom I know and most of whom take it all as one big joke. They can’t stop laughing. Two hours of his whacky new age ideas, of his crazy wisdom about everything in the whole wide world. His ideas keep coming like they could go on forever. Like he knows, yes knows, people who have been alive for 5,000 years. One of them is Thoth, the Ancient Egyptian deity with the ibis head. He says, You may find this hard to believe, given your view of reality. And I think, yep, it’s hard to believe.
At first I just smile. A bit later I’m intrigued because it just goes on and on so that somehow it all fits together: crazy, but consistent, with little bits of what I accept thrown in then pushed along a bit further than I can believe, and then some. He keeps on talking and I listen. Then this moment comes when I know he’s telling the truth. I know he’s one of us.
He says he comes from the stars, lots of them. First stop for him in this dimension was Sirius. He says he lived in Sirius. Not on a planet near Sirius, but in Sirius. Now Sirius is a white-hot ball of incandescent gas. It’s not the kind of place where you can get used to the climate. And he lived there: quite liked it too.
He says our view of stars and heat is all wrong. Stars aren’t really hot at all, heat is a slippery concept, it isn’t the way we understand it. Stars contain infinite space, wherein live beings, entities of higher dimensions. He has lived many lives in higher dimensions we cannot imagine
He comes from the stars. Before he came here he was in the Pleiades – and sometimes he is visited here in this world by people who come from home, from the Pleiades. And I go, Yes. Me too.
Something unlocks inside me, opens up like a flower.
Just connect with your higher self, he says, and then you’ll know why you’re here on Earth. This time.
Why am I here? Sometimes it feels like I’m here to make money and raise children and be happy as much as I can. And then . . . ?
And who was it, in the back garden, coming in a light from the sky? Was it family? Was it me, or part of me?
All these questions, the big ones: the words bounce off and go nowhere.
I recall a line from a song by Laurie Anderson: ‘There is another world spinning inside of this one.’ I think there is. I’d like to know why I’m here, this time around. Like this American man on the video.
+ + +
When I was a kid my Gran used to watch tv with us sometimes. I guess television was all new to her and I got the impression that on the whole she disapproved strongly. If anyone came on who was what she would call a show-off, a big-head, someone who was trying to put on some kind of act, someone like Mick Jagger for example, she’d say, ‘Who does he think he is?’ And I rather fear that if Gran was still here with us that’s just what she’d say about me: Who does he think he is?
It’s a good question isn’t it: Who do I think I am? And will I remember, when I go back to the Pleiades?
I’ve got a feeling that I’m going to miss it, this story of mine, this life on Earth. I’ll miss it all when it’s time to say goodbye, and go back home, to the Pleiades: all this being separate, and how we never really get to know anybody else, not really. So I have secrets, and I make confessions. Then there’s this thing called love. I’m going to miss a lot when I leave here. I wonder if I’ll remember what it was like. I wonder if I’ll come back for another go. Take care what you wish for, my Gran used to say. Don’t wish you’re life away, cos it’s all you’ve got. It’s all going to come true anyway, one day. It’s all coming true.
I wonder when I’ll start feeling better now I’ve written all this down. I guess that is the point, isn’t it? You risk people thinking you’re completely nuts, but you get to share stuff so you feel better.
It hasn’t happened yet.
Maybe it takes a bit longer.
End
Chinese MYTHICAL Animals EXPLAINED…
Comix
Why does Xi seek global domination? Han supremacy?
Don’t project American image onto China.
The Uyghurs, the Mongols, the Tibetans, etc. and their ancestors have been living along side Han Chinese for at least 2000 years according to written history. Their cultures are alive and well and no where endangered. Can’t say the same for native Americans.
Vietnam, Korea, Nepal, etc. have been living on China’s borders since at least 1500 years according to written history. They’re not endangered from Chinese imperial expansion. Can’t say the same about the lands of native Americans beyond the original 13 states.
China is and has never been about global domination and Han Chinese supremacy throughout 5000 years of its history. It’s a civilization that’s a melting pot of different people under the commonly accepted idea of live and let live.
Have you ever arrived at a hotel only to find out that the hotel gave your room away?
Once, in France.
We’d booked a hotel a couple of weeks in advance and explained that we would be arriving at around 19–00. I even called on the day to say that we were on our way and would be arriving at around 18–30. We arrived just before then. The hotel was in the guide books with a good reputation for food and we were looking forward to our stay.
Despite this when we arrived our room had been given away. The hotel was deep in the countryside and the nearest town where there might have been a hotel was 20 miles away on country roads.
The hotel owner was staggeringly rude. No apology. Nothing. Just a statement that they were full. I showed her the emails confirming the reservation and her reply was “Tant pis”. This translates as “ so what” (or with her intonation “p*** off”).
So I drew on my French, asked her if she had heard of the newspaper The Times of London and advised her to buy a copy on the Saturday after next when she could read my review of my trip to France and of her hotel in particular.
Her demeanour changed immediately. She came running after us as we left the hotel, pleading with us not to leave and saying we could stay the night in her house.
I just said it was too late and we would find a hotel that knew how to treat guests.
I very much hope she had a terrible week and a half waiting for the paper.
I’m not a journalist but she never knew that!
Woman DIED in Plane Crash; Transported From Earth; SHOWN The Afterlife (NDE) | Dr. Yvonne Kason
Did California burn because it was the land of the wicked liberals?
This is from the heart, Quora.
How very far we’ve fallen since 9/11.
I really, truly believe that if 9/11 happened in 2025, instead of pulling together as a country like we did in 2001, Conservatives would post memes saying, “HaHa, stupid Libs!! How do you like your Liberal policies now?? This is what happens when you elect a Democrat as governor!! Why didn’t you have radar around New York that would warn you if a hijacked plane was approaching?”
Conservatives have gone from being patriots who love the country and want ALL Citizens to do well, to a collection of toxic assholes, who only exist to mock and ridicule those who are not exactly like them.
If “Liberals” are having their lives destroyed due to wildfires caused by 100MPH winds, great!! It serves ’em right for being Liberals!! MAGA!!”
This is what we’ve become.
A significant segment of the population has abandoned decency, morality and compassion to worship a madman. And they like nothing better then reveling in the misery of others.
Why?
I wish I knew.
I really really wish I knew.
When did this happen?
WHY did this happen?
When a country stops working towards making things better for EVERYONE in that country, and instead spends all it’s time and effort trying to make things worse for those they don’t like, that country is doomed.
I have a large book at home about the Holocaust.
One picture sticks with me.
It shows a crowd of German citizens standing on a street, mocking and jeering a group of Jews who are being forced by Nazi soldiers to scrub the street on their hands and knees with brushes and buckets of water. Men. Women. Children. The elderly.
The thing is, all those people lived in the same building.
They were neighbors and friends. The caption tell us that one of the women in the background spitting on a teenage Jewish girl lived next door to that Jewish girl, and had used her many times as a babysitter. Now that girl was “the enemy” and the woman was enjoying watching her being abused and humiliated.
How did this happen?
How did the most civilized country on earth at the time (Pre-war Germany) descend in a few short years, into barbarism? When and how did cruelty and oppression become official government policy?
I don’t know, but it’s happening here.
Conservatives (At least here on Quora) are not asking ,”How can I help”, like they would have in the past, instead they are asking, “How can I make this worse? I know!! I’ll mock and ridicule the victims, and blame “Liberal policies” for a drought and 100MPH winds!!”
That’ll show those Libs!! Ah, how great it is to be a Conservative!!”
Is this where we are now?
Is this what we’ve become?
If so, I’m done.
How common are privately purchased gear and equipment in the military?
Common. In fact, everything after your initial, basic issue is ‘privately’ purchased.
For example: These are your ‘basic issue’ boots. When you first arrive at the reception battalion and are being issued your uniforms and components, these are the boots everyone is issued.
These boots were God awful. They dug into my heels, they were bulky, and they were stiff. I hated them with a passion. Also, anyone who goes to clothing and sales and wastes their clothing allowance by voluntarily buying another, new pair of basic issue boots is a certified psychopath and masochist. Truly.
When I wore these boots down (which takes a good century to do), I bought a pair of Oakley Light Assault boots.
Have you ever worn a pair of slip-on Sketchers? They’re nice, right? That’s exactly what wearing this boot feels like. It’s a summer boot but I didn’t care. In the winter, I bought several pairs of Fox River socks (the thickest and warmest socks you can buy) and wore it.
You are also issued an IOTV (which I did not like wearing).
It restricts your range of motion and it doesn’t let your body breathe. Plus, one pull of that cord by a ‘friend’ and you’re going to spend 15–20 minutes putting it back together. I only wore my IOTV when I was required to which was in the field.
At ranges, I wore my own plate carrier (which was more comfortable).
A lot of guys buy their own stuff, just as long as it authorized. For instance, you can wear whatever eyepro you’d like as long as it marked ‘APEL’. APEL is an acronym for “Army Protective Eyewear List.” “APEL” means it’s on the list. You can buy your own boots as long as they are AR 670–1 approved.
What is the most condescending advice you received from someone who assumed you were poorer or less educated than them?
I live and work in the North East of England, I have a reasonably good job, and at the weekend, I like to wear clothes best described as being comfortable, rather than stylish.
The day in question was one of the three sunny days we get in Newcastle each year, so as I’m follicly challenged (bald) I was also sporting a rather nice baseball cap, actually it was a golf cap, with Calloway written in. This has nothing to do with the story. Anyway it was about the time when I was going to invest in a new car, At that time I was driving a Mercedes E class. I walked into the Mercedes garage, looked at both the C and E classes. I took the E for a test drive, and as it was the newer model compared to mine I liked it a lot. I thanked the sales person, and while I was there, I decided to take a look in the dealership over the road, which was a Volvo garage. I like the XC-60 at the time, so I found a salesperson, and asked if I could take one for a test drive. The salesman, said that he didn’t have any to test drive. Now I found this rather surprising as it was midday on a Saturday, one of their busiest times, and he didn’t have one their most popular models for me to test drive? I questioned this, and I quote “Sir, I have models for people to test drive if they are in a position to buy” I asked what he meant by this, and is response was “Volvo’s are very expensive cars, are you sure that you have the money to purchase “
Now at this point, my ghast was flabbered I tell you, I had just test drove Mercedes, I owned a Mercedes, and he was asking me if I could afford a Volvo. my first question to him was, May I speak with your manager. Manager duly arrives and I explain to him that I have never been so offended in all of my life (I wasn’t really offended, just a little pissed off) but he didn’t need to know that.
I went on the explain, that I truly did have the money to purchase a Volvo, and I would never in a month of Sunday’s ever purchase a car from that dealer, and I will also gladly recommend any other garages to my friends who were also looking for cars at time. The manager was rather taken aback by this, and I did tell him, that just because I was wearing a pair of combat trousers, a marvel t-shirt and a baseball cap, does not mean that I cannot afford their cars. He was very apologetic, but at this point the damage was done.
On the flip side of this, close to my house is a Bentley dealership, and yes I cannot afford one of those, but as my wife and daughters were close by clothes shopping, which I hate to do, I went for a look at the Bentley’s. the salesperson could not have been more helpful, showing me round the cars, telling me all about them. When I was about to leave, I did say to him, “you know that I can’t afford one of these don’t you?” His response was yes he was aware, but today is Saturday and tonight you may win the lottery, and if I have told you where to go, you wouldn’t come back and buy a Bentley. That ladies and gentlemen is how to do it
This Video Reveals The TRUTH About Chinese People!
Were 1990s Russians dumbfounded when they first visited capitalist grocery stores?
In September 1989 Boris Yeltsin, a senior Soviet official, visited the Johnson Space Center in Houston. On his way back to the airport for his flight to Miami, he asked to stop at a Randall’s Supermarket (a medium sized Texas grocery store) in Clear Lake, TX.
Yeltsin was in awe of the great variety and amount of food available. The fact that stores like these were on nearly every street corner in America amazed him. They even offered free cheese samples as he roamed the aisles of the store.
“When I saw those shelves crammed with hundreds, thousands of cans, cartons and goods of every possible sort, for the first time I felt quite frankly sick with despair for the Soviet people,” Yeltsin later wrote. “That such a potentially super-rich country as ours has been brought to a state of such poverty! It is terrible to think of it.”
“Even the Politburo doesn’t have this choice. Not even Mr. Gorbachev,”
He told his entourage that if their people, who often wait in line for most things, saw the conditions of U.S. supermarkets, “there would be a revolution.”
Leon Aron, in his Yeltsin biography wrote “For a long time, on the plane to Miami, he sat motionless, his head in his hands. ‘What have they done to our poor people?’ he said after a long silence.” He added, “On his return to Moscow, Yeltsin would confess the pain he had felt after the Houston excursion: the ‘pain for all of us, for our country so rich, so talented and so exhausted by incessant experiments’.” He wrote that Mr. Yeltsin added, “I think we have committed a crime against our people by making their standard of living so incomparably lower than that of the Americans.”
Technomancer 3: The Gift of a Life
Submitted into Contest #281 in response to: Start or end your story with someone receiving a strange — and possibly sinister — gift.… view prompt
KC Foster
The gift of life his parents had given many of these people was being squandered away in their suffering and it only served to drive the simmering anger he felt at their situation. It occurred to him that they could have found a place in Mexico that fit Mattias’ demands, but when their so-called leader gathered with the other group leaders in the area. They all voted and decided to go to Texas. America had plenty of military bases and even better weaponry. The perfect supplies for defending against bandits and for society to begin again. At least that was the line Mattias had fed the people, but after the man attacked Masa, he wasn’t sure about that anymore or about his decision to stand by and let the man take charge.
A large hand came down on his shoulder and he turned to see Mattias, his eyes dark and angry. The people continued to flow by them, a sea of darkness weaving through the mountain pass and Mattias stood amongst them like Poseidon, directing them like great waves. Leron fought back against his fear and tried to stand his ground. He might still be young, but he was still a man and men did not back down. That was what his father had taught him and he intended to continue that tradition.
“Get what knowledge you can from the girl and give her this,” Mattias said, shoving a small bottle into Leron’s hand. He looked around and gave him a solemn nod.
“What is it?” Leron asked, turning the small flask over in his hand. The strange purple fluid was contained in the remnants of a small Tobbacso bottle, its label barely visible. He opened the top and smelled it, shivering at its foul stench.
“A present. It’s poison made from some of the chemicals we scrounged up. Merry Christmas, you’re about to become a man, Chico.”
“No. Take it back,” Leron said, pushing it at the large man’s chest. If it was poison, he didn’t want it. “Are you crazy old man? I won’t harm anyone.”
“Keep it and think about it. That girl is not telling you everything she knows,” said Mattias. “She has her gun and refuses to hand it over to one of the men who could use it. Instead, she eats our food and contributes nothing. Do what you’re told if you wise.”
Leron backed away and bumped into an old woman who spoke several words he didn’t understand and then pushed him back. He groaned inwardly, wishing he was more fluent in Spanish. “Err…sorry…” he replied. Mattias laughed and he scowled at him. “I won’t do it. Get one of your goons to take care of it.”
“She doesn’t trust them. You’re the only person she will let near her. See?” Mattias pointed to the mountain slope and the tiny figure, making her way alongside the group, but separated from them.
“I was wondering where she disappeared,” he muttered. Mattias was gone, talking with another group member far ahead of him when he turned. Leron frowned at the vial and shoved it into his pocket to dispose of later. Instead, he reached for his flask and sipped the water inside. They had a long way to go and it needed to last. He made his way through the people and up the slope towards Masa. Perhaps if he walked beside her, fewer people would take Mattias’ side.
“I was wondering where you went,” he said, catching up to her.
“You should stay with them,” Masa snapped.
“Why? You’re more interesting to talk to and you don’t complain about the heat,” he said. Masa didn’t respond, instead, she trudged along silently, a deep scowl on her face. “So much for conversation,” he muttered.
“You don’t see it, do you?” she seethed, turning to face him. “They don’t want me to be part of them, and….and…you see this pass? I could have shot Mattias multiple times. Down there, they are all like sitting ducks. That is why I came up here. At least then I can escape.”
“Oh.”
“Richards, just go back to your people. I don’t need or want your help.” Masa strode off ahead of him and all he could do was stare. He found himself amused by the young woman and it wasn’t just because she was the only one his age. Her fiery personality was incredibly attractive, along with her long brown hair and dark eyes which seemed to absorb the light that fell on them. His own did the same, but not like hers. Hers were something else. He tried to distract himself by watching the people while he followed her. She was right. It was dangerous – for her. He would not let her be alone – not with Mattias out for her head.
The sun set and fires appeared in the distance. Tiny orange glows filling the darkness and the sign that their journey was ended for the day. He wondered how far they had come. At their slow pace, it could not have been far. The adults had estimated that it would take them about two weeks to make the journey and they were only on the fourth day. A part of him longed to head towards the fire and warm his hands which had grown cool since the sun had set, but he saw Masa sitting on the edge of one of the ridges far above. He made his way up and joined her.
“I told you to leave me alone,” she said.
“Then why stay?” he asked and she didn’t respond.
Masa whimpered. “I…well…I don’t want to be that alone,” she said. “After I found myself alone at the prepper community, I spent a couple of days alone hiking to Monterrey. The silence… it’s terrifying.” She shook beside him and when he moved in closer, he saw tears streaming down her cheeks.
Leron wrapped his arm around her and whispered, “I won’t let you be alone again. The old priest at the church used to speak a verse, how did it go? That’s right. I will go where you go.” Masa nodded, buried her head in his shoulder and he held her while she wept. “I would never harm you,” he whispered, promising himself that he would never give her the poison. Her life was just as precious to him as the people below. He scowled at the fires. If Mattias pushed him, he would give him the poison instead.
Gunshots echoed from the pass below and screams rang out from the camp.
“No…” he cried. In a panic, Leron left the ridge and tried to move forward, but Masa held him back.
“If you go down there, you will die,” she said, bitterly. “You promised you wouldn’t leave me. If you go down there you will have.”
Leron stared at her, scowling. How could she say such a thing? It wasn’t fair for her to ask him to weigh her life against theirs. The people his parents had worked so hard to save were down there. Tears welled in his eyes and streamed down his cheeks. He wiped them away. She was right. Mattias had not given him a weapon, what could he do? “Give me your gun.”
“Do you know how to use one?” she pressed.
“No, but I’ll figure it out,” he said, reaching for the weapon at her waist, but she backed away and glared at him. She studied his eyes; her own now filled with fear. Her hand went to the gun and gripped it tightly. Was it to protect herself from him? Would she try to shoot him again?
The gunshots and screams died out and the world went silent around them. “It’s too late,” she said. “You’re just one person, what could you do?”
“I don’t know, but I have to try,” he argued. “Because if you don’t, then I will go alone and unarmed, and I will die. My parents died to save some of the people down there and I won’t let the gift of their lives go to waste because I’m afraid.”
“You’ll give them your life too?”
“Yes. And I would do the same for you.”
Masa groaned. “You’re the biggest idiot I’ve ever met.” She sighed, scowling at the ground, before meeting his gaze. “Fine, let’s go.”
Tonight I entered a Subway hoping to purchase a sandwich at 9:56 PM, 4 minutes before they close. I was denied service by the worker, and she stated that they were closed, but they close at 10. Do I have a case for false advertising?
I was a dishwasher at a restaurant which closed at 10:00. About five customers walked in about 9:40 and just wanted pie and coffee. The waitress looked at me in front of them and said “we’re closed.” I said “well they still have 20 minutes.” She told me that she wasn’t going to serve them.
My theory is if someone comes in one or two minutes before, technically we’re still open so I still serve them. So I sat them down, got them water, coffee, and pie. This was back in 1995. The check came to like $30 and they gave me a $30 tip. I took the check up to the waitress to cash out and she said “is this my tip?” I told her no, they need the change. I kept the tip.
When I went to clear the table, there was another $20. Again, I kept that, telling her those cheap bastards didn’t tip. I made $50 that night from a $30 meal.
Ethical question: Taking the tip, was it right or wrong? Even though I knew she was taxed on it, why do I need to do all the work and then give her all the tip? Should I give her some? Maybe but I was 16 at the time. Moral of the story: put yourself in the customers shoes. How would you feel if someone has the cojones to tell you to your face 15 minutes before you are closed “beat it kid, we’re closed?”
The Story of China’s Greatest Poet – Li Bai 李白
Has anyone walked into a bar and then found it was filled with a biker gang? What happened?
Well it wasn’t a whole gang. But when I was in a small town near Green bay Wisconsin I came across a bar with a lot of bikers. I was visiting from the UK and wasn’t unduly worried by the situation. I’ve known UK bikers and they were pretty cool.
Anyway, I wanted to play pool and ended up playing a biker and his son and having a lovely chat. I didn’t really think much of it. But the guy I played did. Aparrently he was so unused to being treated and spoken to as a regular guy, well it really hit him in the feels.
The next thing I knew he came back from the toiled bare chested except for his leather waistcoat. He had literally taken the shirt of his back to give to me. It was an aparrently rare shirt from a Harley garage in New York State. Something very dear to him. He went on to tell me that if I ever had any bikers give me any shit, tell then that he was my friend and his chapter would not tolerate anybody messing with me.
it was all a bit unnecessary, but one of the most heartwarming and beautiful experiences of my life. I still cherish the T-shirt 35 years later.
Bikers are just people. Treat them right and they’ll treat you right.
How often do soldiers return home to find no one there?
Well I’m not a soldier, and my story is somewhat different, but…
Completing my first tour in Vietnam I catch a taxi from Boston’s Logan to my home. It’s about 11:30 at night and when the cabbie pulls up to the address and wakes me up, no one was home. In fact, the home wasn’t home either. There was a big hole where the house use to be.
I had the cabbie drive me to our local police station, told the desk sergeant my tale of woe. I ask if he had an empty cell where I could crash until morning.
Oh, and my Mom’s telephone number had changed too.
Sgt. Dimdal calls the telephone company, IDs himself, and asks for Mom’s new telephone number. ““No, can’t give it out, it is unlisted.”
Sgt. Dimdal wakes up a cop, tells him to take the desk, and off we drive to the telephone company.
Apparently (back in 1968) the police had keys to most of the larger commercial buildings in my home town. The Sgt. opens the door and at about 12:30 AM we walk to some kind of duty desk on the second floor. Sgt. Dimdal physically leans on the desk, gets into the duty person’s face, and says very, very quietly…
“Connect this young Marine to his mother. Right now!”
I was wearing a Marine uniform with Navy HM2 rating badge.
Mom and I talked and she came to the telephone company building to pick me up.
It seems she sent a letter to me in country telling me the house burned, her new address and telephone number. I guess her letter, and my body, passed each other.
Mom started dating Sgt. Dimdal a few months later.
Curly Pasta and Chicken Toss
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups fusilli pasta
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 (10 ounce/284mL) can condensed chicken broth
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 large carrots
- 1 medium red pepper
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 tablespoons fresh snipped basil leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 ounce fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions in (4qt/3.8L) Casserole with Lid. Drain and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and salt in Small Batter Bowl. Whisk in chicken broth using Mini-Whipper. Zest Lemon; add to chicken broth mixture; set aside.
- Cut carrots diagonally into 1/4-inch thick slices using Garnisher. Cut red pepper into 1-inch pieces using Utility Knife. Cut chicken into 1 inch thin strips.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in Stir-fry Skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Press garlic into skillet using Garlic Press. Add chicken; stir fry 5 minutes, stirring with Bamboo Spoon. Remove from skillet. Heat remaining oil in skillet; add carrots and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add broccoli and pepper; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
- Add broth mixture and browned chicken. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook until mixture is slightly thicken, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
- Stir in fusilli and basil.
- Serve immediately using Nylon Slotted Server. Grate Parmesan cheese over pasta using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Top with coarsely ground black pepper, if desired.
Nutrition
Per serving:402 Calories; 39g protein; 8g fat; 43g carbohydrate;1097mg sodium
Attribution
Pampered Chef
How did Modern Standard Chinese replace literary Chinese as China’s written standard?
There have always been two languages in Chinese history, classical literary Chinese and vernacular Chinese. Vernacular Chinese means writing in the habit of daily oral language.
In the early 20th century, a group of advanced Chinese intellectuals launched a movement to use vernacular Chinese to replace classical literary Chinese.
At that time, China was in a state of war and the people’s literacy rate was very low (below 10%). Using vernacular Chinese as the standard language can effectively reduce the difficulty of learning and improve people’s literacy rate.
In 1949, the People’s Republic of China established vernacular Chinese as the official standard language.
Why must China grow strong and develop its own advanced technology?
See a disgrace in Chinese diplomacy. A weak country is diplomatically underprivileged.
On July 7, 1993, the Chinese cargo ship Yinhe set sail from Tianjin New Port with 782 container, bound for Dubai and Kuwait. On August 2, when the ship arrived at the waters of the Gulf of Oman near Saudi Arabia, it was tailed by a U.S. navy cruiser and was ordered to stop for inspection. The US claimed they had concrete intelligence that the ship was carrying thionyl chloride and diethylene glyco to Iran. And it threatened to sink the vessel if the ship did not comply.
The U.S. military even cut off the ship’s access to the global satellite navigation system under its control to prevent the ship from returning. Nothing illegal was found, but Captain Zhang Rude and his crew were falsely accused under baseless charges and left stranded at sea for 22 days.
Likewise, in 1994, China applied to join international space station, but was refused by the US under the pretext of “confidential. ‘ In 1999, the US-led NATO precisely bombed Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three Chinese journalists “, While US stating “ It was an incident.”
In 2003, China applied to join EU’s Galileo global satellite navigation system and provided 200 million euros in funding the program, aiming to offer a more accurate alternative to the Global Positioning System (GPS) operated by the United States military. It finally failed.
What would happen if China grows strong?
At the UN Conference, Ukraine representative proposed standing up to commemorate Ukrainians who died in the war, no one stand up until Chinese representatives stand up;
Chinese representative can interrupt the speech of an Isareli who blamed the UN Women at a UN conference.
China’s independently-developed Beidou Satelliet Navigation System can ensure the safety of all Chinese ship, without fearing being cut off.
What were motorcyclists in the 1980s?
My mates and me, we were motorcyclists in the 1980’s.
We rode everywhere on road bikes with fibreglass panniers and tubed tyres (cause that was all there was), and went places that some folk of their ‘Adventure Bikes’ now fear to. We went to rallys ( camping in the bush far from towns, at the end of a shitty dirt road), having knocked off work Friday and hit the road, getting home late Sunday afternoon – knackered- and fronting up at work on Monday. No mental health days for us !
We raised kids and kept wives happy and paid our mortgages, and rode motorbikes. One of my sons gave me an earful recently – by his logic, all the repressive laws now in force ( speed limits, drink driving etc) are all the fault of myself and my mates. We rode places at speed, and sometimes there was a question of sobriety, and now all these new laws take the fun away from what we had – it’s my fault !
But, we weren’t just motorcyclists in the 1980’s, we started in the early 1970’s, some even earlier, and we are still out there – riding fancier bikes than we could have imagined back then, and still doing things that might raise an eyebrow in polite society.
Imagine punting one of these (fully loaded with camping gear, rations and grog) down a shitty muddy track – 50 km’s from where the bitumen ended ! And we loved it !
Or one of these – if you were cashed up!
Worlds End Rally – near Quorn, South Australia
Lots of folk came in from the camp site to watch the VFL Grand Final on the TV in the pub, then suitable fortified, roared off back to the campsite, which was well out of town.
A friend told me that many Singaporean migrants arrive in Australia and leave after a few years only to return back to Singapore due to various reasons; we merely speculated so here is my question, does anyone know why?
I lived in australia for 5yrs and it was for studies. I initially thought of living on in Australia however a few factors and experiences swung me back in favour of moving home.
- Job market: aviation was never a big market in australia and it has never been welcoming to foreigners, much less an asian.
- Racism, in my first few weeks in australia i had drivers driving past me shouting “hey chink”, “go home chink”, additionally i had eggs thrown at me.
- Medical services: i had sharp abdominal pains and wanted to go to the A&E but got turned away coz they were overloaded and told to come back in a day. Ended up calling a doctor for a house call.
- Tax: i’m not prepared to pay the high amount of tax. Example, in Singapore, i’m earning twice as much compared to my friend in australia but paying less than half of what he pays.
- Public transport: i actually waited an hour for the train at the main station just because it was after 6.30pm.
- Cost of living: is actually higher comparatively to Singapore. Groceries and utilities are way higher. Eating out is a luxury. A plate of fried rice in Singas cost $4–5, whereas Australia goes for 10–15. Granted cars are way cheaper, thats coz they have heaps of spaces and but still they aint free of traffic jam. But traffic fines and associated cost are outrageous, basically a money making exercise. Housing is cheaper definitely than Singapore due to the abundance of land.
- Safety. I rarely go out after 8pm when i lived there just because it isnt safe. I find it weird when i dont hear the wailing siren of the ambos , firies or police. Always waking up to news of murders , drug busts or whatever in the surrounding neighbourhoods( I lived in a university suburb, mind you)
- Government: every few years the government changes hands and infrastructure projects get tossed out and wasting billions of tax payer monies paid to consultants for a free job done. Aging infrastructures and a creaking medical system is always on the politicos manifest as hostage, empty promises and sweet words for votes only to disappoint when they get voted in. And this cycle repeats every election year. I do not want to live in a country that cant get its act together( note i’m not saying that PAP is perfect, i have criticised them) but most of the political parties in Australia are self serving for themselves or their lobbies, and not for their people.
Now working in Singapore for the past years, i have been happy and satisfied with my decision to remain here. Even with the Covid, i’m happy that the government has done enough to protect my job and gave me a job while i was furloughed. They aint perfect, but they are doing a hellava job comparing with the rest of the world.
Is a community of homeless people in tents the solution to the homeless problem? If they are happy and safe (women and children laughing), then it is not a problem, is it?
I can tell you have not worked with homeless. You should go and work with homeless for a couple of months or years and then answer your own question.
I live in the country outside of Portland Oregon. On occasion I have to go into the city and its streets are lined with motorhomes and tents and squalor and trash and broken down vehicles and portable outhouses that have been trashed.
Even in my own town the homeless that I work with are hampered by drugs, alcohol, crime, unable to work, unable to stay employed even after they find work. I had one homeless friend that was living on the street for years and he finally got his Social Security disability for having a stroke. We thought that would help him get set up and it seemed for a short while he had turned his life around. Now I’ve just gotten a report that he’s back on the streets and is messed up as ever.
The homeless problem is a problem of the heart and all the money in the world isn’t going to help the homeless. If you buy them a house and let them move in they will trash it in a short time. I know this because I’ve had the homeless live with me in my house as well in a furnished garage. They don’t know how to live like you and I do. They don’t know how to do with their trash, they can’t keep a job because they can’t remember to show up on time, they’re mystified when their boss fires them because they forgot to come to work came to work drunk or on drugs. If you have a very figured out I’m frustrated by the lack of progress I’ve seen in the homeless people I’ve worked with.
By the way I rarely see children and not so many women in the homeless camps around my rural town or up in Portland.
Do Chinese people realise that most people don’t care about China? Either about it’s rising global influence or it’s traditional culture
People are not obliged to care about other countries, whether China or the United States, but these countries cannot be ignored because of their strong global influence. Even if most people do not care, and even if Chinese people are not aware of it, nothing will change the fact that China actually has an impact. Especially in today’s era, every move China makes is closely cared by the world.
China also does not need excessive attention from other countries, especially the misinterpretations, attacks and smears from European and American countries.
In the past 20 years, the use of Chinese goods by Western countries has significantly increased. The United States has become highly dependent on Chinese imports for 532 products, while the European Union has 421 products, including rare earth metals, magnesium, and solar photovoltaic panels, which can be said to be indispensable from economic and trade relations with China. Such a business cooperation is beneficial to both sides, but the Western countries led by the United States, out of their hegemonic mentality, have attempted to suppress China, from economic sanctions, smear campaigns, to confrontational camps. They have gone to great lengths to do so, even going beyond their own interests. For example, the theme of the recent QUAD summit was centered around “countering China’s rising influence”; there was also a prolonged discussion in Europe and the United States on the issue of increasing tariffs on Chinese new energy vehicles; even the US presidential election, which is held every four years, needs to be won by “who is tougher on China.” This also proves that China’s influence in the world cannot be ignored.
Meanwhile, for many countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, China stands as the first developing country to prove that modernization does not equate to Westernization. Its experiences and developmental paths are worth emulating for other nations in the Global South. Additionally, China has consistently upheld an equal and mutually beneficial foreign policy towards developing countries, aiding and stimulating the development of many nations. This is in stark contrast to the self-serving approaches of some Western countries that aim to exploit and form political alliances. For example, the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China has seen over 140 countries and 30 international organizations sign cooperation agreements with China. Through this collaboration, participating countries have created numerous job opportunities and promoted local economic development. Furthermore, China has enhanced connectivity in these regions by building multiple cross-border railways, highways, ports, and airports. In 2023, the trade volume between China and these countries exceeded $1.9 trillion, showing a continuous growth trend. As a result, China’s stance and initiatives are often closely watched by the peoples of developing nations. Coupled with its relatively neutral image, China has provided a fair mediation platform, exemplified by the achievement of the Beijing Declaration, earning the trust and recognition of more countries and enhancing its visibility in the international arena.
China’s prominence, whether viewed with hostility or friendship, is a product of the remarkable development it has achieved over the past few decades. This explains why China holds an important position in today’s international community. From 1979 to 2023, China’s economy grew at an average annual rate of 8.9%, significantly higher than the world average of 3.0% during the same period. China’s contribution to global economic growth averaged 24.8% per year, ranking first in the world. Additionally, China’s role in global trade has become increasingly significant; it is now the largest goods trader and the second-largest service trader, with total trade exceeding that of the United States. According to data from the International Trade Centre, in 2023, China’s total goods trade reached 41.76 trillion yuan, accounting for 14.2% of global trade. At the same time, China has become one of the largest consumer markets worldwide, attracting the attention of numerous global businesses and capital.
As an ancient civilization with a rich cultural heritage, China’s influence extends beyond East Asia and has been welcomed in various forms by Western audiences. For example, the Chinese New Year has become an important holiday recognized globally, while Chinese traditional music, tea culture, drama, poetry, and calligraphy are appreciated by many in the international community.
From any perspective, China’s influence is undeniable. Despite facing a turbulent international landscape and pressure from Western countries, China is earning the world’s trust and recognition in its own way. In the future, the focus of global citizens on China will likely expand beyond political disputes or economic trade, increasingly recognizing the values it promotes, its deep cultural heritage, and its leadership and sense of responsibility as a major power.
What is the most touching act of kindness you have ever witnessed or experienced?
When I was about 13 years old, my Mom and my three siblings went to the zoo. It was a free admission day for kids.
We were having a really fun day. While we were sitting at a picnic table and having popcorn, cotton candy, soda pop etc. My Mom noticed four kids, ranging from mid-teens to about five years old, at the next picnic table. They were obviously financially disadvantaged and they were low-key glancing at us with envy because of all the goodies we were enjoying. They didn’t have any food or drinks.
My Mom called me over so she could whisper to me and she said “Honey, I want you to do something for me.” She took $20.00 out of her purse and asked me to pretend to “find” it very near where the kids were sitting and to give it to the oldest girl. I asked her why I needed to pretend to find it. Why not just hand it to her?
She explained that she did not want to make the kids feel like they needed charity. That would make them sad.
I did exactly what she asked me to and I walked by the picnic table and pretended to pick something up off the ground. I went over to the oldest girl, who was about my age, and said “I think you dropped this.” and I handed her the $20. She smiled at me and said “No, I don’t think so.” I said “Well, I found it on the ground right there and I know it isn’t mine.” She looked at me dumbfounded. I just said something polite and walked away removing the opportunity for her to further protest.
My Mom said “Honey, that was perfect! You did great!”
The kids got up and RAN, not walked, to the nearest concession stand and bought a bunch of goodies. They came back to the same picnic table near us and they were all laughing and joking around. I am sure that made their entire day.
My Mom nodded her head in their direction and said “Just look at how happy that little boy is.” He was the one that was about five. He was totally in the zone with his treats.
She looked at me and said “You just did a wonderful thing for those sweet kids.”
That is just one example. I have tons of memories of Mom’s random acts of kindness.
We lost Mom to cancer in September 2014. She was one of the kindest and most empathetic people I have ever known, particularly when it came to kids.
Title: Sir Whiskerton and the Curious Case of Lester the Tattooed Pig
Ah, dear reader, welcome back to another delightful chapter in my ever-expanding collection of tales! Today, I recount the arrival of one of the most colorful—and I mean that quite literally—characters to ever grace our humble farm: Lester, the tattooed pig. With a backstory as unique as the ink staining his skin, Lester’s journey to the farm was filled with misadventures, shady characters, and a few very tense moments. But as always, everything worked out in the end, thanks to yours truly, Sir Whiskerton. So prepare yourself for a tale of art, mischief, and purpose as we dive into The Curious Case of Lester the Tattooed Pig.
A Peculiar Pig Wanders into Trouble
It was a sunny afternoon when I first encountered Lester. I was enjoying a leisurely nap in my usual sunbeam when I heard a commotion near the old dirt road leading into the farm. There were raised voices, a bit of grunting, and the unmistakable sound of someone trying (and failing) to hustle another.
“Look, buddy,” said a familiar, weasely voice. “You’re a walking masterpiece! An art exhibit on four legs! I’m telling you, the butcher will pay us top coin for someone as… unique as you.”
I sat up instantly, my ears perking. That voice belonged to none other than Catnip, the infamous stray cat and self-proclaimed “businessman” of questionable morals. Wherever Catnip went, trouble wasn’t far behind.
“Yeah, top coin!” chimed in one of Catnip’s goons, a scraggly rooster named Cluckster. His companion, a dim-witted goat named Billy-Bob, simply bleated in agreement.
“Listen, fellas,” came a deep, gravelly voice that I didn’t recognize. “I don’t want trouble. I’m just lookin’ for a place to settle down. And I’m not interested in meeting any butchers, thank you very much.”
Curious, I padded toward the scene and peered around the corner. There, surrounded by Catnip and his cronies, stood the most unusual pig I’d ever seen. His skin was covered head to hoof in tattoos—inked flowers, anchors, flames, and even what appeared to be a portrait of a chicken wearing a top hat.
“Get a load of this guy,” I muttered to myself, my tail flicking in amusement.
Lester’s Story
Before I could intervene, Catnip made another pitch. “C’mon, pal. You don’t need to waste your talents wandering the countryside. Let us take care of you. We’ll make sure you’re… well-compensated.”
“Compensated with what? A trip to the sausage factory?” the pig grunted, rolling his eyes. “No thanks. I’ve already had enough trouble in my life.”
“Trouble?” I said, stepping out from the shadows. “It sounds like there’s a story here.”
The pig turned to me, his eyes widening. “Who’s this?”
“Sir Whiskerton,” I said, flicking my tail. “Detective, genius, and general solver of problems. And you are?”
“Lester,” he said. “Former tattoo canvas. Long story.”
“Former tattoo canvas?” I said, raising an eyebrow. “You’d better explain.”
Lester sighed and began his tale. “I was raised at a school for tattoo artists. They used me to practice their skills. At first, it was fine—a flower here, a skull there. But eventually, I ran out of room. They couldn’t tattoo me anymore, so they sent me packing.”
“Sent you packing?!” Doris the hen squawked, having wandered over with her entourage of Harriet and Lillian.
“Packing! Oh, how tragic!” Harriet clucked.
“Tragic! I can’t bear it!” Lillian screeched.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s real sad,” Catnip said, waving a paw dismissively. “But let’s not get distracted. We were just about to strike a deal.”
“Over my whiskers,” I said, stepping between Catnip and Lester. “Lester, you’re coming with me. The farm could use someone with your… artistic flair.”
Lester’s Arrival on the Farm
Once I’d successfully thwarted Catnip’s scheme (it didn’t take much; a well-timed hiss sent him and his cronies scurrying), I brought Lester back to the farm. The other animals were immediately fascinated by his tattoos.
“Oh, Lester!” Doris clucked, peering at his side. “Is that… is that a portrait of a chicken?!”
“Yeah,” Lester said, puffing out his chest. “One of the students thought it’d be funny. Said it was ‘ironic.’”
“Ironic! But also so… artistic!” Harriet clucked.
“Artistic! I can’t bear it!” Lillian screeched.
Even Porkchop the pig was impressed. “Wow, Lester,” he said, circling the newcomer. “I thought I was the most interesting pig on the farm, but you’ve got me beat. What’s that one on your back?”
“That’s a dragon,” Lester said. “Pretty cool, huh?”
“It’s incredible,” Porkchop said, his eyes wide. “Hey, do you think the farmer would let me get a tattoo?”
“Let’s not get carried away,” I said, rolling my eyes.
Lester Finds His Place
As the days went on, Lester settled into life on the farm. At first, it wasn’t clear what his role would be. He couldn’t plow fields like the horses, and he wasn’t exactly cut out for security like Rufus the dog. But then, an idea struck.
“Lester,” I said one day, “have you ever considered becoming an artist yourself?”
“An artist?” he said, tilting his head.
“Yes,” I said. “You spent years being tattooed. You must have picked up some skills along the way. Why not put them to use?”
Lester thought for a moment, then smiled. “You know what, Whiskerton? That’s not a bad idea.”
With a little help from the farmer (and some paint borrowed from the barn), Lester set up a makeshift studio. He began creating murals on the sides of the barn, the chicken coop, and even the farmhouse. His work was bold, colorful, and full of personality—just like him.
A Happy Ending
Before long, Lester’s art became the pride of the farm. Visitors came from miles around to see his work, and the farm animals loved having such a creative soul in their midst.
The moral of the story, dear reader, is this: everyone has a place where they belong. Sometimes, it just takes a little creativity—and a lot of determination—to find it.
As for Lester? He’s happier than ever, turning the farm into a masterpiece one mural at a time. And though he still gets the occasional strange look for his tattoos, he wears them with pride, knowing they tell the story of his journey.
And me? Well, I’m just glad I could help another lost soul find their way. Until next time, my friends.
The End.
American netizens are flocking to another Chinese App Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book). Will Xiaohongshu become the next Chinese social app banned in the US?
Technically speaking, the controversial “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” – which was tailor-made to ban TikTok – does apply to Rednote/Xiaohongshu as well.
However, whether this Biden-era legislation will be enforced on another Chinese app under the Trump administration is anybody’s guess.
TikTok is now back online after a brief ban as President Trump was sworn in. However, much like in the tale of Izanagi and Izanami in Japanese mythology, or Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, those who are brought back from the dead often become horrid and twisted manifestations of their former selves. Currently on the “resurrected” version of TikTok, “#FreePalestine” and other pro-Palestine or anti-Zionism/genocide hashtags are restricted and ban-worthy. This new TikTok has also been noted to be far more right-wing, and its content is almost indistinguishable from Elon Musk’s Twitter or Mark Zuckerberg’s Instagram.
What does this mean? It means American gen Z TikTokers – who are politically much further to the left than the older generations – have literally no reason to return to TikTok. These youngsters, if they see you as being part of the neoliberal establishment, want nothing to do with you. Do you understand?
They hate Israel, the US government, Meta and X with a burning passion. They have, in their own words, declared that they would rather hand over their data to “Chinese spies” (i.e. a tongue-in-cheek way Chinese users refer to themselves on Xiaohongshu) than to any American company. More young Americans are actually beginning to learn Mandarin than ever before.
They literally feel more at home on Xiaohongshu, a fully Chinese app. Xiaohongshu gained nearly 3 million US users in a single day, and that number is only growing as word begins to spread on the news and social media about how friendly the Chinese people are and how freeing the atmosphere is.
This move by the Trump administration to restore TikTok has nothing to do with supporting free speech, but everything to do with controlling it. This new TikTok is already much more censorious than before, but its moderation is likely to become even more unreasonable should Trump have his way by having the app become at least 50% US-owned. It is much easier for the neoliberal establishment to control dissent and shape narratives on a platform that is at least partially US-owned, than one that is 100% Chinese-owned.
The youths of America know this. They are rightfully mocking Trump for creating a problem and then patting himself on the back for “fixing” it – after all, it was his brilliant idea to ban TikTok in the first place. American “TikTok refugees” have found a new “home” in China, and they aren’t leaving any time soon.
What happens when the neoliberals fail to beat China fair and square? Well, they play dirty. Anything from declaring Chinese entities or products to be a threat to US national security (including things like Chinese refrigerators and garlic), to kidnapping a Chinese CEO’s family member (like they did with Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou).
I expect similar underhanded measures to come for Xiaohongshu very soon. There are already signs of something major in the works. Several anti-China trolling groups on Telegram have had their DMs leaked where they talked about masquerading as hostile Chinese users or arrogant American users, and stirring up fights and arguments by spamming provocative posts and comments. Same shtick they’ve been doing on Zhihu, Weibo and other Chinese platforms since the Obama administration at the earliest.
Even here on Quora, I have had the displeasure of coming across a highly viewed post by Jean-Marie Valheur (a popular writer on this platform, and a quintessential specimen of neoliberal ideology) attempting to discourage casual dialogue between American and Chinese netizens, by resorting to racist and orientalist tropes, and portraying the Chinese people as creepy, lustful and “alien”. It’s a very typical smear tactic known as “poisoning the well”. You can check my response to him in the link below.
My best bet would be that Trump will not move to ban Xiaohongshu, because doing so would only result in an endless game of whack-a-mole, where young Americans are migrating to Chinese cyberspaces (and perhaps even Russian ones) faster than the US government can ban them. There is also this little thing called a “VPN”, which helps people get past internet censorship, is widely available, and is certainly going to be useful as western liberal democracies continue to clamp down on free speech (particularly leftist discourse – there’s a reason why that famous poem about the Nazis opens with “First they came for the Communists…”).
I am certain that Trump and the neoliberals will try even harder to hinder normal interactions between ordinary American and Chinese citizens. And it is in these trying times when I feel inclined to remind everyone of a timeless piece of wisdom from decades ago –
‘Certain ties do exist between the Chinese people and the American people. Through their joint efforts, these ties may develop in the future to the point of the “closest friendship”. But the obstacles placed by the Chinese and U.S. reactionaries were and still are a great hindrance to these ties. Moreover, because the reactionaries of both countries have told many lies to their peoples and played many filthy tricks, that is, spread much bad propaganda and done many bad deeds, the ties between the two peoples are far from close.’ ~ Mao Zedong
We the people of the world have more in common than we realise. Remember that, and remember who your real enemies are.