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Make your life special no matter where you are or why

After exiting prison, I was placed in a half-way house. And, of course, over time I rose through the ranks and became a major director of the operations there. You cannot change who you are, no matter what snarls and lies are thrown at you, the fundamental being of what you are never changes.

So I was placed there, and I managed the house there.

It was for men. Everyone had one issue or the other. Most all of us were getting back on our feet, and there really wasn’t much in the way to help us, so we banded together and ran that house.

Some had addictions. Some were on parole and some had mental issues. Most were divorced. All were having trouble finding work.

When I came to the house, it was dim and gloomy and not managed at all. The light-bulbs were all replaced with 15 watt refrigerator bulbs (if any). They were the cheapest bulbs that one could buy. But they made the interior of the place really dark and super gloomy.

It was also stifling. They kept thee windows closed all the time. The initial reason was to keep the electricity bills down, but the real reason was that everyone was too laze to take responsibility.

Out of my own pocket, I bought “natural lighting” light-bulbs in 75 and 150 watt versions, and put them in all the fixtures. Talk about making a difference! What an amazing change.

The next thing that I did was mandate certain windows to be left open a crack (1 inch = 2.5 cm) so that fresh air could get in, and we kept the thermostat cooler in the Winter (at around 65F) and warmer in the Summer (at around 80F) so that over all we had a nice movement of air, and reasonable temperatures.

Here’s the typical window opening in “my room” in the shared house. Notice my piles and piles of books. LOL.

my books
my books

I then organized meals. One person would cook dinner per day, and we rotated. We sat down and came up with a meal plan and in short order we were eating meatloaf and mashed potatoes, tomato soups with grilled cheese, open faced turkey sandwiches with gravy over french fries, and Italian sausage. Not to mention the chili, spaghetti, and other meals.

It was remarked to me that the mental health of everyone was greatly improved, and the house was a nice, cozy place to live.

Eventually, I left.

But during that point in time… well, I made a difference.

During this point in time, of your life, are you making a difference?

Today…

All fingers point to Israel, but it could just as well be the United States.

  • First, The President of Iran dies in a helicopter crash, with his Foreign Minister. HERE
  • Second, The Iranian Intelligence Chief is assassinated. HERE
  • Third, the Chief of the Iranian national Police is assassinated HERE

All within a two day window.

What are the odds? Using the on-line probability calculator we are looking at 0.000000000000001% of it being a natural coincidence.

Four kittens, left in the river due to illness, emitted faint cries for help, but went unnoticed.

What is the best way to respond when your waiter asks if everything was okay, and it wasn’t?

I have a favorite breakfast restaurant that I have been to over 30 times. The breakfast is always great (almost), I posted 5 star Google review. Arrived to the pleasant greeting from a new waitress, who served my normal pancakes, eggs and bacon (don’t judge, it’s great). Both pancakes were burned on the bottom. I ate the eggs and bacon, turned the pancakes over to display the black pancakes. The new waitress removed the plate and said nothing. I normally leave a 25% tip, but left 15% and left.

Next few times, perfect, then again a set burned black. I turn them over and wait. The waitress comes over to offer coffee, and I say. “I’m sorry to be a pain, but I won’t be eating these, would you kindly replace them with pancakes that are not burned”. She apologized, fixed the error.

A bad meal may be a fluke, a bad cook that doesn’t care, but has not been found out yet. I learned that it really is my obligation to politely refuse a bad meal without eating more than a taste if the error is not obvious. The owner will never know that they have a problem if you hide it. If you eat it, you pay for it.

The first waitress should have dealt with it, but it may have been her first day on the job, and I did not expose the obvious issue by saying something. She lost out on a generous tip for her inexperience or lack of attention.

A restaurant is very difficult to manage properly, hurting that restaurant with bad reviews based off of one meal is IMHO very wrong. My rule is never to review restaurants that serve a meal I disliked, only ones when it’s truly fantastic. They lose that 5 star review, and it’s not the waiter/waitresses fault, unless he/she ignores an obvious error. If the error was in flavor, blandness and invisible, I’d still leave a 25% tip. But I would not order that meal again. If I try two or three meals there that I dislike, I never go to that restaurant again.

A friends wife ordered a meal took one taste and couldn’t eat it. She was very polite and didn’t say anything. I asked why, she said the cook just over cooked this. I said, would you mind if I said something. I asked the waitress to remove the meal from the check, and asked my friends if she wanted anything else. She was not mad, but the restaurant doesn’t get to benefit from a badly cooked meal. No drama, no bad review, just draw attention that maybe that cook is not attentive to his meal preparation. And returning a full plate of food.

I started work as a production supervisor. I asked my first boss how do I become successful?

He replied, every day you come to work you will find 100 things to do. 85 of them ar not important and will fix themselves. 15 can wait until tomorrow with no harm, and 5 are going to kill you. Your main job is to find the 5 that are going to kill you and take care of them first. That was the best advice I ever got, and also noticed in my 40 years of work that the best managers are not the ones who solve problems, but the ones that keep problems from ever happening.

The next is a Sam Walton story told to me by the former Vice President of Sales at Proctor and Gamble. One day Sam called him and said be in my office tomorrow. Of course when your largest customer calls you go, and he flew to Bentonville. Sam said I’m dropping your company and you have 30 days to get all of your products out of my stores. I’m sick of working with you guys, you have a promotion every week and I have to stock extra inventory for the sale then sales drop as soon as your promotion is over. I have to hire extra people just to change prices and you are causing a major disruption to my operation and I’m using twice the warehouse space, and I just won’t have it any more. Of course the VP was stunned. Who on earth would refuse to do business with the largest producer of consumer products in the world. He said what can we do? Sam thought for a minute and said we will take one product, Pampers, and you will run no special coupons or promotions. The only thing I want is the lowest everyday price that you give anyone including promotions, and you will deliver two truck loads of pampers to each of my store every day. He agreed. After three months Pamper sales significantly increased and P&G was making more money than they ever had. He no longer had to have marketing and promotion people and they were able to reduce their transportation and warehousing costs significantly. Basically keep your operation simple and don’t cloud it with things that don’t matter, and don’t be afraid to walk away from bad customers regardless of the revenue you will use. Profit, not revenue should be the driver.

Apricot Ginger Biscotti

IMG 8690 e1461703731106
IMG 8690 e1461703731106

Yield: about 12 biscotti

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup (about 2 ounces) dried apricots
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons (about 1 ounce) chopped candied ginger

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a cookie sheet and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.
  2. In a bowl soak apricots in boiling hot water to cover 5 minutes. Drain apricots well and pat them dry with paper towels. Chop apricots fine.
  3. In another bowl lightly whisk together eggs and transfer 1 teaspoon egg to a small bowl. Whisk water into the 1 teaspoon egg and reserve egg wash.
  4. In a large bowl with an electric mixer blend flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add remaining egg and vanilla extract and beat until a dough forms (dough will be sticky). Stir in apricots and ginger.
  5. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 6 times. Working on cookie sheet, with floured hands form dough into a 6 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch rectangle. Brush rectangle with some reserved egg wash and bake in middle of oven for 30 minutes.
  6. Cool rectangle on cookie sheet on a rack 10 minutes.
  7. Loosen rectangle from cookie sheet with a metal spatula and carefully transfer to a cutting board.
  8. Cut rectangle crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices. Arrange biscotti, cut side down, on cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes on each side, or until pale golden.
  9. Transfer biscotti to rack to cool.

Notes

Biscotti keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or frozen for 1 month.

A whacked out crack head was driving with two others in the car. This crack head got up beside a car with a man, his wife, and two grandchildren on a 4 lane and started weaving like he was going to hit the family. He stuck his tatted up nasty arm out the drivers window and gave them the finger while acting crazy. The family slowed down, the crack head got in front of them. The crack head did not know that the family was turning right, they did turn right, and the crack head actually slammed on his brakes, backed up, and started to chase the family. The driver of the family in the car had enough, he stopped, the guy chasing him stopped about 100 feet behind and they both got out. The crack head was stoned, and started to charge the man until the family man pulled his M&P Shield 9 mm. The look on the crack head was sheer amusement. I have never seen anyone stop dead in their tracks and start walking backwards, almost running backwards. The crack head got in his car and backed all the way back to the intersection and took off. Yes, you guessed it already. I was that man, and this was about 18 months ago. Yes, I have a CCP, and yes, I would have shot him. I’m too GD old for that bullshit, especially when he put my wife and grandchildren at risk.

I was in the Navy for 21 yrs and heard a lot of stories. There are nearly 6,000 people on a carrier and at least two and sometimes 4 are at sea at one time and often at sea for 3 to 6 months or longer. The carrier is a very dangerous place to be – especially the flight deck.

The flight deck is 90 feet above the water so a fall from there often causes injury. There are also tons of other places that you can fall from. If you are seen falling, you almost always will be rescued. If you are not seen falling. . . .well . . . .it is a long swim to shore. Falling overboard happens on every deployment but most are rescued. Those that are not seen falling are just “missing” at the next role call and the ship is searched. Usually, missing means fell overboard which means dead.

What the public does not know is that there are always serious injury accidents and quite often fatalities on every deployment. In the 60s and 70s, there was an average of 1 or 2 deaths for every deployment. I have been out for a long time and the safety record might be better now but I doubt it. The carrier is still a very dangerous place to be – especially the flight deck.

“He won’t marry me after 16 years and two kids”

 

I’m a 38 year old woman who has been dating a 40 year old man for 16 years. I feel so depressed and disposable because he won’t marry me.

We have been together for 16 whole years. We have two daughters (4 and 8). I wanted to be married before having kids but he basically said he thought that if he married me first then I might decide not to have any kids and he would be stuck never having any. So I was guilted into having them before being married.

I have felt horrible about my situation for years but last summer, about a month before our 16 year anniversary, I started to feel much worse. I’m depressed and I think about it multiple times a day. I feel like a joke. Like a disposable piece of trash. Like I’m not good enough to be loved completely.

I’m a stay at home mom so I depend on him financially so it’s not as simple as just moving out.

I’m so embarrassed. I feel worthless. I have one very good friend that I met four years ago…. She thinks we are married and I’ve never corrected her. His parents and siblings refer to me as their daughter/sister in law. His mom introduces me to people as his fiancee because she knows that the term girlfriend doesn’t seem serious enough after 16 years.

A few months ago at confession the priest wouldn’t absolve me of any sins because I couldn’t tell him that I wouldn’t fornicate again. Older priests always have because staying with him in a fake family was best for my kids. This younger priest wouldn’t do it and I was crying hysterically. Now every time I think about that I get choked up. I can’t go up for communion at mass. So on top of feeling not good enough I also get to feel like I’m going to hell.

I love him but since this depression started this summer I feel different about him. And all men. I now think all men are incapable of love. For the sake of my daughters I need to stay with him but I don’t know how to handle feeling this way for 14 more years. I’ve been trying to tell myself that when I’m 52+ I’ll have a chance to find someone who will actually love me completely.

I honestly don’t know how I can stop feeling so horrible. I think about it multiple times a day, every single day.

How do I get over it? Or what do I do to improve things? How could I talk him into it? I don’t know if I could. I just feel so lost.

I feel your pain radiating through every word of your letter. 16 years is an eternity to be stuck in relationship limbo, and with two kids in tow, no less. My heart aches for you.

Let’s be clear: Your partner’s refusal to marry you is not a reflection of your worth. It doesn’t mean you are unlovable or disposable, even though I know it feels that way. His unwillingness to fully commit is about him and his issues, not about your inherent value as a person and partner.

But here’s the hard truth: You cannot talk him into marrying you because he does not want to marry you. I know that stings like hell, but trying to force or guilt him into a proposal will only breed more resentment and dysfunction. For whatever reason, he’s made it crystal clear that marriage is not on the table. You need to stop waiting for him to change his mind, and start focusing on what YOU need and want.

First things first: Look into your rights as a common law spouse in your area. After 16 years and two children together, you likely have some legal protections and entitlements, even without a formal marriage. Consult with a lawyer to understand your options and safeguard your interests.

Next, it’s time to start building some financial independence. I know you’re a stay-at-home mom, but is there any way you could get a part-time job while the kids are in school? Even a few hours a week could give you a sense of autonomy and put some money in your pocket. Plus, it’s a chance to connect with other adults and remember that your worth extends beyond the confines of your relationship.

Speaking of confiding in others – it’s time to come clean with your close friend. I know it feels shameful to admit that you’ve been lying about being married, but true friends will understand and support you through this. Keeping up the charade is only adding to your emotional burden. You need people in your corner who know the real story and can offer guidance and empathy.

I also want to address your belief that you need to stay with him for your daughters’ sake. I get it – you want to keep the family together, to spare them the pain of a split. But here’s the thing: Your daughters are watching you every single day. They’re absorbing the dynamics of your relationship, internalizing the way you’re treated. Is this the model of partnership you want for them? Staying “for the kids” in a union that leaves you feeling depressed and degraded will only teach them to settle for less than they deserve. Sometimes, the most loving thing a parent can do is to leave a toxic situation and show their children what it looks like to demand better for yourself.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to lean on your own family for support during this time. I’m sure they want to see you happy and whole, and would be more than willing to help you navigate this transition. You don’t have to shoulder this burden alone.

I know the thought of leaving is terrifying, especially after pouring 16 years into this relationship. But from where I’m standing, it sounds like you’ve already mentally checked out – you’re just looking for permission and a plan. So here’s your permission: You deserve happiness, commitment, and a partner who values you completely. And here’s a rough plan: Get educated about your rights, start squirreling away some money, tell the truth to your inner circle, and begin envisioning a life beyond this relationship.

I won’t pretend any of this will be easy. Disentangling your life from his will be a process, logistically and emotionally. But I deeply believe that you have the strength to reclaim your joy and show your girls what a woman looks like when she refuses to settle.

It’s time to bet on yourself. To fight for the love story you deserve, even if – especially if – you’re the only one in your current relationship willing to do so. 16 years is long enough to wait for someone else to see your worth. Now it’s your turn.

20 years ago, I was helping put my friend by working in his high end ski shop that also sold expensive ski outfits.

This petite gal came in wearing a vintage mink swing coat. She selected 6 outfits, in increasing sizes, including jackets & pants and went into the fitting room with them.

The door of the fitting room ended about 1′ above the floor. I kinda noticed that I saw her pull on a pair of pants but never saw her take them off which was kinda weird. Now I knew to keep an eye on the booth. Then I saw her try another pair on top of the first pair.

Just happened that there was a police car parked outside the shop. I went and spoke to him explaining what I thought was going on. He said that he would wait to outside our door so that he could arrest her if she was stealing.

Long story shore, the customer had layered on the 6 outfits on top of each other and then her coat. The previous loose swing coat was now tightly closed across her body. She let me know that she didn’t like any of the outfits and walked out. I nodded at the cop and he arrested her on the spot . She was wearing over $6000 of clothing. Ended up being found guilty of Grand Larceny and spent time in jail.

Ladies, if I may speak.

I’m going to wager this is a major, perhaps the biggest gripe women have with head games men play:

A guy and a girl will meet for a date.

Within a date or two, the guy will probably know if she’s someone he could see himself in a relationship with.

He realizes the answer is probably no.

When she asks if he is looking for a relationship or to date around, he says, “A relationship.” but leaves out the part (but not with you).

He continues going on dates with her knowing full well that he doesn’t want a relationship with her.

Why does he keep going on dates?

Because he knows if he keeps going on a few dates, he’ll probably get to sleep with her. Most girls don’t give it up on date 1 or 2. But sometime after that, it often happens.

Sure enough, 3–5+ dates in, they have sex.

Perhaps they go on a couple more dates and hook up a couple more times. He eventually bails, ghosts, or fades into the unknown.

Or in the worst case, they have sex once and he is out.

Hence, the common dating profile line you see “no hookups!” on what feels like 70% of profiles (in America at least).

As a general rule of thumb, guys, I know girls are fun, shiny objects. I’m a fan of them too.

But if she’s stated clearly she doesn’t want a hookup/fling, don’t dangle the relationship carrot. You’ll just feel like shit afterwards.

And more importantly, you’ll hurt her feelings.

Russia & China — Two Against One

Guest Post by Ray McGovern

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s extremely warm reception of President Vladimir Putin yesterday in Beijing sealed the increasingly formidable Russia-China strategic relationship. It amounts to a tectonic shift in the world balance of power.

The Russia-China entente also sounds the death knell for attempts by U.S. foreign policy neophytes to drive a wedge between the two countries. The triangular relationship has become two-against-one, with serious implications, particularly for the war in Ukraine. If U.S. President Joe Biden’s foreign policy geniuses remain in denial, escalation is almost certain.

In a pre-visit interview with Xinhua, Putin noted the “unprecedented level of strategic partnership between our countries.” He and Xi have met more than 40 times in person or virtually. In June 2018, Xi described Putin as “an old friend of the Chinese people” and, personally, his “best friend.”

For his part, Putin noted Thursday that he and Xi are “in constant contact to keep personal control over all pressing issues on the Russian-Chinese and international agenda.” Putin brought along Defense Minister Andrey Belousov as well as veterans like Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and key business leaders.

Joint Statements Matter

Xi and Putin signed a strong joint statement Thursday, similar to the extraordinary one the two issued on Feb. 4, 2022, in Beijing. It portrayed their relationship as “superior to political and military alliances of the Cold War era. Friendship between the two States has no limits, there are no ‘forbidden’ areas of cooperation …”

The full import of that statement did not hit home until Putin launched the Special Military Operation into the Donbass three weeks later. China’s muted reaction shocked most analysts, who had dismissed the possibility that Xi would give “best friend” Putin, in effect, a waiver on China’s bedrock policy of non-interference abroad.

In the following weeks, official Chinese statements made clear that the principles of Westphalia had taken a back seat to “the need for every country to defend its core interests” and to judge each situation “on its own merits.”

Nuclear War

Thursday’s statement expressed concern over “increased strategic risks between nuclear powers” — referring to continued escalation of the war between NATO-supported Ukraine and Russia. It condemns “the expansion of military alliances and creation of military bridgeheads close to the borders of other nuclear powers, particularly with the advanced deployment of nuclear weapons and their means of delivery, as well as other items.”

Putin has undoubtedly briefed Xi on the U.S. missile sites already in Romania and Poland that can launch what Russians call “offensive strike missiles” with flight time to Moscow of less than 10 minutes. Putin surely has told Xi about the inconsistencies in U.S. statements regarding intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

For example, Xi is aware — just as surely as consumers of Western media are unaware — that during a Dec. 30, 2021, telephone conversation, Biden assured Putin that “Washington had no intention of deploying offensive strike weapons in Ukraine.”

There was rejoicing in the Kremlin that New Years’ Eve, since Biden’s assurance was the first sign that Washington might acknowledge Russia’s security concerns. Indeed, Biden addressed a key issue in at least five of the eight articles of the Russian draft treaty given to the U.S. on Dec. 17, 2021.

Russian rejoicing, however, was short-lived.

Foreign Minister Lavrov revealed last month that when he met Antony Blinken in Geneva in January 2022, the U.S. secretary of state pretended he’d not heard of Biden’s undertaking to Putin on Dec. 30, 2021. Rather, Blinken insisted that U.S. medium-range missiles could be deployed in Ukraine, and only that the U.S. might be willing to limit their number, Lavrov said.

The Mother of All Miscalculations

When Biden took office in 2021, his advisers assured him that he could play on Russia’s fear (sic) of China and drive a wedge between them. This became embarrassingly clear when Biden indicated what he had told Putin during their Geneva summit on June 16, 2021.

That meeting gave Putin confirmation that Biden and his advisers were stuck in a woefully outdated appraisal of Russia-China relations.

Here is the bizarre way Biden described his approach to Putin on China:

“Without quoting him [Putin] — which I don’t think is appropriate — let me ask a rhetorical question: You got a multi-thousand-mile border with China. China is seeking to be the most powerful economy in the world and the largest and the most powerful military in the world.”

The ‘Squeeze’

At the airport after the summit, Biden’s aides did their best to whisk him onto the plane, but failed to stop him from sharing more wisdom on China:

“Russia is in a very, very difficult spot right now. They are being squeezed by China.”

After these remarks Putin and Xi spent the rest of 2021 trying to disabuse Biden of the “China squeeze” on Russia: it was not a squeeze, but a fraternal embrace. This mutual effort culminated in a Xi-Putin virtual summit on Dec. 15 of that year.

The video of the first minute of their conversation was picked up by The New York Times, as well as others. Still, most commentators seemed to miss its significance:

Putin:

“Dear friend, dear President Xi Jinping.

Next February I expect we can finally meet in person in Beijing as we agreed. We will hold talks and then participate in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games. I am grateful for your invitation to attend this landmark event.”

Xi:

“Dear President Putin, my old friend. It’s my pleasure to meet you at the end of this year by video, the second time this year, our 37th meeting since 2013. You have hailed … China-Russia relations as a model in international collaboration in the 21st Century, strongly supporting China’s position on safeguarding its core interests, and firmly opposed to attempts to drive a wedge between our two countries. I highly appreciate it.”

Is Biden still unaware of this? Have his advisers told him that Russia and China have never been closer, with what amounts to a virtual military alliance?

The Election

Putin has said he is aware that Washington’s policy toward Russia “is primarily impacted by domestic political processes.” Russia and China certainly assess that Biden’s policy on Ukraine will be influenced by the political imperative to be seen as facing Russia down.

If NATO country hotheads send “trainers” to Ukraine, the prospect of a military dust-up is ever present. What Biden needs to know is that, if it comes to open hostilities between Russia and the West, he is likely to face more than just saber rattling in the South China Sea — and the specter of a two-front war.

The Chinese know they are next in line for the ministrations of NATO/East.

Indeed, it is no secret that the Pentagon sees China as enemy No. 1.

According to the DOD’s National Defense Strategy, “defense priorities are first, defending the homeland, paced to the growing multi-domain threat posed by the People’s Republic of China.”

The Pentagon will be the last to sing a requiem for the dearly departed unipolar world. May sanity prevail.

American Reacts to First Time You Realized America Really Messed You Up you Americans Living Abroad

 

What do you believe has been a major culture shift that has affected values in the United States in the last 50 years?

I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, back in the 1970s. My mom was a unwed mother. My uncle was a biker and drug dealer, and had done various stretches at the expense of the California taxpayer. He was also somewhat of a surrogate father for me at times.

I noticed early on that every drug dealer, car thief, burglar that crossed his threshold had at least one tattoo, but usually more than one. My mom eventually married (twice) with my first step father being a truck driver from a southern lower middle-class background. His family was working class whites, and none of them had tattoos. My second step father was a small business manager with a more middle class background. None of his friends or families had ink.

Back in the 70s and 80s, the was a pretty clear demarcation:

  • If you had tattoos you were generally lower class, but you were lower class in a way that rejected upward mobility and civility.
  • If you were middle class or upper class, tattoos were simply not an option.
  • Respectable working class men didn’t have ink. The sole exception to this was military veterans who sometimes had unit or ship tattoos, but otherwise lead respectable lives.

Now significant percentages of all economic and demographic groups have tattoos.

I don’t think this phenomena so much represents tattoos themselves being mainstreamed, but rather that underclass culture in general has been mainstreamed. The AVERAGE person today is more likely to embrace underclass culture.

Evidence:

  1. Tattoos.
  2. Almost half of children born to unmarried parents.
  3. Proliferation of profanity in normal everyday conversations.

As a teen and young adult I worked my tail off to get away from underclass culture. But in the intervening years, many in the upper and middle class have assimilated underclass culture. Tattoos are just and expression of that.

China Helped Zimbabwe Beat Evil U.S. Sanctions

Shorpy

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My daughter , her partner and their 1 and 3 year old sons lived in a small downstairs apartment. Her partner worked second shift so he wasn’t home until about 10pm. Around 6pm she would put the boys in the bathtub before brushing their teeth and putting them to bed and the neighbours had no issues with the noise that came with young kids in the tub. Splashing and the like.

Sadly the upstairs neighbour moved out and the landlords brother moved in after his wife kicked him out. He hated kids and the same day he moved in he took offence at the noise of the kids in the tub and my daughter told them off for splashing her and he called the police stating he suspected she was abusing them. She had just gotten the kids out of the tub and they were wrapped in towels when a knock on the door came, then police open up.

She opened the door and was eh hello? The two officers looked at both kids and saw they were wrapped in towels and asked if she had been bathing them? She said yes. They then asked why she had yelled at them and she showed them her clothes which were all wet and all the water on the bathroom floor caused by them splashing. She explained that she had told them off for splashing so much but that was all it was. This was 6.30pm.

They apologised for coming out and said there was obviously no issue here. One said he also had two small kids and knew how it was at bathtime. They then left.

A few days later they came back. Same complaint, same officers. Again they didn’t find any problems but did say that it was the neighbour upstairs who made the complaint. The next day her partner was off work and went up to talk to the neighbour at 1pm. Neighbor opened the door and was visibly drunk and slurring his words and basically told my SIL to get lost. SIL called the landlord who apologised for his brother, that he was an alcoholic and refused to accept it and get help but that he couldn’t kick him out as he had nowhere else to go.

Over the next few weeks the police came several times and finally told my daughter that it was probably best to move out. Thing is the rent was cheap and the only other apartment available was almost twice the price but it was owned by the same landlord and he offered to reduce the rent because of the trouble his brother had caused.

Less than a year later he sold all of his rental property and the new owner raised the rent. Now my daughter is stuck in the apartment because there aren’t any other 3 bedroom apartments available. The rent is so expensive that they can’t afford to save for a down payment to buy their own home. All caused by an alcoholic who refused to admit he had an issue.

AMERICAN Reacts to Americans Realize the Entire Earth Doesn’t Revolve Around Them!

What are the smallest signs that someone is severely depressed?

 

  1. Decreasing interest in sex, food, entertainment and social events. A lack of previous enthusiasm in activities and people that brought them a readable sense of joy.
  2. Binging on entertainment, music, films, television shows, etc. that have a suicidal character or widespread theme of death.
  3. Lack of concern in hygiene. Wearing the same clothes, noticeably unkempt appearance with changes in hair and skin care, decreased activity and exercise, no interest in looking good.
  4. Increased isolation. They quit calling friends, decreased communication with neighbors and service people. Gradually alone until the end.
  5. They begin to become clumsy, breaking items, stumbling, and having accidents. Their mind is too focused on their depressive state.
  6. Their home gradually becomes more cluttered and dirty, repairs are ignored. Mail remains unopened inattentive to their environment.
  7. Lack of ‘being present’. You will notice that their body is with you but emotionally and mentally they aren’t engaged.
  8. They begin giving things away, nothing has sentimental value anymore.
  9. They become confused, forgetful, and apathetic towards both mundane and special events, even their favorite friends.
  10. Their speech pattern changes, mumbling, monotone, and barely audible. There is a noticeable lack of humor, their mouth takes a downturned expression. There is a vacant sadness in their eyes. Expression is one of despair.
  11. They begin talking about famous suicide victims while their interest towards the topic increases. They express acceptance or approval of suicide.
  12. Their vocabulary leads towards, or hinting at, the statement, ‘’There is no hope or future’’. They express an apathetic attitude towards everyone and everything.
  13. They lose the spark and liveliness from their eyes. They gradually develop a dull, lifeless look.
  14. The frequency of their smiles gradually decreases until there is a frozen, blank expression on their face of sadness.
  15. Their health problems increase and they don’t seek answers or want to talk about it. They stop exercising and sleep more.
  16. The extremely depressed won’t seek counseling but exhibit a ‘don’t worry’ persona, trying to fool everyone that they are GREAT, until the body is found. Major depressive disorder creeps up slowly until it overcomes the natural survival instinct.

AI Just Got Insanely Better

Jesus Christ.

Vintage art

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Kenetic narratives, thomas robson, ls
Kenetic narratives, thomas robson, ls
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Women Are Crying Over NEW Laws Requiring DNA Tests In More States…

What is the evilest way to acquire wealth?

From 1950s to mid '60s two Mexican sisters concocted an elaborate plan to make quick money.

Delfina and María de Jesús González (also known as The González Sisters) ran “Rancho El Ángel”, the centre of a macabre prostitution ring that would eventually claim more than 90 lives: men, women and infants. All in the name of money.

In 1964, three women managed to escape from the the ring and approached the authorities with a horrifying story. They’d just escaped from a brothel where they were kept prisoners and forced into prostitution.

When the cops investigated the brothel, they were shocked beyond imagination. All the women the sisters had in their employ had all been abducted. To keep them in line they were beaten severely and drugged often to keep them under control.

Any woman who lost her beauty was immediately killed and disposed of somewhere in a shallow grave in the property. They dared not get sick; the sisters figured it was easier to kidnap more women than buy medicine. A new victim was totally free.

But the working girls weren’t the only victims of the Sinister Sisters. Any babies unfortunate enough to be conceived in this dungeon were quickly disposed of by way of immobilizing the mother and viciously beating her until she miscarried.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the police uncovered more than 90 bodies buried in the property.

The crimes earned the sisters 40 years in prison (the maximum that Mexican laws allowed). Although Delfina died whilst serving time her sister completed the sentence.

The Guinness World Records immortalized them as the “most prolific murder partnership” in history.

Cranberry Cappuccino Biscotti

cranberry cappuccino biscotti
cranberry cappuccino biscotti

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa
  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (6 ounce) package Ocean Spray Craisins Sweetened Dried Cranberries
  • 3/4 cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
  3. Combine eggs, egg whites and vanilla in a separate mixing bowl.
  4. Add to dry ingredients, mixing just until moist, using an electric mixer on medium speed.
  5. Add sweetened dried cranberries and nuts; mix thoroughly.
  6. On a floured surface, divide dough in half and pat each half into a log about 14 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide.
  7. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until firm.
  8. Cool on a wire rack.
  9. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Cut biscotti into 1/2 inch slices. Stand upright on cookie sheet.
  10. Bake for an additional 30 minutes.
  11. Let cool and store in a loosely covered container.

First Time You Realized America Really Messed You Up | Part 3

Has a dress code been instituted at your place of work because of one employee?

Yes.

My current employer is the County Clerk’s Office. As I’m sure you can imagine, a lot of the employees are female and older and are, for better or worse, sick to death of wearing stiff polyester suits to sit in a cubicle. A lot of people wear tunic-style tops/dresses and stretchier pants for comfort’s sake.

Well, like a lot of other legal entities, leggings were creeping into the office slowly but surely, and there were some vague warnings from HR, but one day we got an official memo that leggings were verboten by the end of January 2023. One coworker, a large, tall lady who was directly affected by the new ruling (because it meant that now her thighs were uncomfortably exposed from behind when she wore dresses) protested directly to the HR manager. The manager was candid enough to admit that the change was attributable to one particular complaint made directly to the serving Clerk: “I just came out of a courtroom and saw one of your employees walking around in leggings as pants and a short tunic shirt.” Requests to be allowed to wear leggings beneath dresses were denied, protests that opaque leggings actually covered more skin than sheer pantyhose were ignored.

So, no more leggings. Oddly, stretch pants are just fine.

But at least they didn’t make us start ordering work clothes from the Land’s End catalogue as threatened. (Probably because they don’t want to have to stump up a $300/person stipend for us to get a lousy cardigan set.)

Russia’s Anti-Drone Grenade Launcher Shotgun

 

 

How can husbands who are cheated on by their wives find peace in their heart and move on without resentment?

Alright, listen up – This is gonna hit like a freight train, but it’s the real, raw truth you need to hear. If your wife cheated on you, you were probably not in the driver’s seat of your own life. Sit down, grab a notepad, and let me lay down the law.

First off, the fact that you’re even in this situation means you lost the game somewhere along the line. A high-value man doesn’t get cheated on. Why? Because he’s the top-tier, cream-of-the-crop alpha who commands respect, loyalty, and admiration. Women don’t cheat on men who exude strength, confidence, and power. So, accept the fact that you weren’t operating at your maximum potential.

Now, when a woman cheats, it’s a slap in the face, a kick in the gut, and a punch to the ego – all rolled into one. It’s a challenge. The universe is testing your resilience. Are you gonna crumble like a cookie? Or are you gonna rise from the ashes like the fiercest, most unstoppable phoenix in the playbook of life?

Here’s how you man up, find peace, and move on without resentment:

1. **Upgrade Yourself**: Look in the mirror and identify what made you vulnerable. Was it your physique? Your finances? Your mental toughness? Transform every aspect of your life. Hit the gym or use slay fitness on Slaylebrity VIP social network like the world depends on it. Grind in your career until you’re a walking success story. Upgrade your wardrobe until you look like royalty. Become a man so high-value that you leave her in the dust, wondering why she ever settled for less.

2. **Channel the Pain Into Power**: Pain is an incredible motivator if you know how to harness it. Channel that betrayal, that hurt, into an unbreakable determination. Every time you feel the sting, double down on your goals. Let every rep, every deal, every personal achievement be a middle finger to the past.

3. **Cut the Cord**: You don’t need that toxic energy in your life. She’s a chapter in your past – close the book and toss it into the fire. No looking back. Cut all ties, block her number, delete her pictures. Out of sight, out of mind. She’s history, and you’re writing a new future.

4. **Surround Yourself With Winners**: Align yourself with high-value men who breathe success. Join circles where loyalty, respect, and power are the currency. If you have the means level up to slay club world on concierge. Being around winners will elevate your life game to a whole new level. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with – make sure they’re all titans.

5. **Secure Your Fortress**: Next time, choose a woman who recognizes your worth and treats you like the king you are. Build a fortress with someone who stands by your side, not someone who’s eyeing the exit.

Remember, resentment is a weed that grows in weak minds. You’re here to cultivate greatness. Let go of the past, don’t let it define you. Use this betrayal as a catapult to greatness. In the end, your success, your transformation, your newfound status will be the ultimate revenge.

Peace isn’t handed to you; it’s earned through relentless self-improvement, unshakable confidence, and unparalleled strength. Stop sulking, start dominating. Become the man who turns tragedy into triumph and rises above – unbreakable, unstoppable, untouchable.

This Will Blow Your Mind!

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