Today, I volunteered to teach English to my daughter’s kindergarten. All of us parents volunteer. And because I am American, they just really want me to teach some English.
It wasn’t long. Just one hour.
I began with a song and dance number, and then we played some vocabulary games. Since this is right before the mid-Autumn festival, the theme was Pomelo and moon-cakes.
Here’s a one minute or so video summary of MM in “action”. It’s a youtube video so it should play quick and easy. (Originally posted on WeChat “moments”.)
All the kids put on Hanfu outfits instead of their normal school uniforms.
They were all as cute as can be. I’ll tell you what.
Meanwhile we played a game with about six or so English vocabulary words.
- Moon
- Moon cake
- Mid-Autumn Festival
- Lantern
- Jade Rabbit
- Chang’e
- Pomelo
A Pomelo is a fruit that is wildly available in China, but that does not exist in the West. It looks like a watermelon sized grapefruit, but isn’t bitter. Just a nice sweet (grapefruit appearing) fruit.
It looks like this. Only it is the size of a round watermelon, or a basketball.
Anyways…
Everyone eats these things called “moon cakes” which is a kind of pastry that is sweet with an egg in the middle. Everyone gives them to each other. I have a couple of boxes at my house from the office and factories.
Yes, it’s too heavy and sweet for me. But the kids love it.
So I did my little song and dance. Played some games and made some moon cakes with the kids. All in all everyone had fun.
I was exhausted.
The night before we had a big evening party. Everyone brought grapes and Pomelo while the kids walked around with these lanterns that they made.
The parents had various song and dance skits.
Here’s one that I filmed at the event. Here’s a taste of MM lifestyle and real China for those of you who wanna know…
These are mothers of the kids attending one of the classes in the school. I believe that this is one of the zhong ban grades. Short video. Cute with the hanfu and the traditional dances that all Chinese seemingly know.
This is “so so very very China”.
Anyways, yesterday before that evening party, I held a luncheon with the staff. We tried a new restaurant and the food was really outstanding.
I took a short video of the food. (To show Mrs MM what were were eating and asked her if she wanted a “doggie bag” of something fresh from the kitchen. This is known as “Da Bao”.)
Here’s the first course. It was of course, an eight course meal. Ah. You’ll never starve in China.
Of course, as the boss I had to guide the staff though the endless bouts of drinking and we were drinking “white wine” 53 degree.
Phew!
Guys, always remember to line your stomach with a bowl of rice first… before you eat anything else. It will make things much easier.
But I do love my life.
After today’s class we tromped off to the spa for a nice face massage and then to lunch. I love the steaming of the face with herbal steam, and then the oil rub on the face, especially around the eyes.
Followed by a quick bite.
I had some delicious egg – tomato noodle soup.
And I will tell you it’s one of my favorites. Healthy and super tasty. There’s a little “hole in the wall” that we go to and I generally eat this…
Now, of course, another favorite of mine is this dish called Da Jia Mian.
It’s really good too.
But today I opted for the egg-tomato noodle soup. Don’t you know.
Lots of stuff going on… MM side. This was today’s “snapshot”.
Have a great day everyone.
Today…
Should the US preemptively start a war with China before the said country becomes too powerful to fight?
It’s 2024 and it’s too late. China today is too powerful to fight.
China has been modernizing its military for decades. Today, it has the world’s largest army and the world’s largest navy. It has a vast rocket force, including unstoppable hypersonic missiles. It has very sophisticated stealth fighters. And China has a substantial nuclear arsenal of 500+ nuclear weapons.
So war with China is extremely risky. The US risks losing an aircraft carrier or two. The US risks losing the war. The US risks nuclear escalation.
Moreover, the US military is getting weaker. Recruitment is down. The US Navy and Air Force have serious maintenance issues with their ships and planes. The US military is spread out too thin around the globe.
It’s Game Over.
What can I learn in one minute that will be useful for the rest of my life?
- If you ever get caught sleeping at your desk at work just say “they told me at the Blood Bank that this would happen.
- When the power goes out search for wifi networks on your phone to see if everyones power is out.
- Quelling road rage by pretending that every asshole driver really has to poop.
- If you want to maintain good posture, pretend your nipples have lasers that shoot out of them and you have to keep them aimed at people’s heads.
- Wiping the water off of your body with your hands in the shower before getting out and towel-drying.
- If you want to attract better people, focus on, think about, read about, and go find them on this app.
- If your car is overheating, turn your heat on full blast. When you turn the heat on in a car, it pulls heat from the engine into the cab, thus cooling the engine.
- Hit “s” while watching Netflix on a computer to skip the intro.
- If you don’t know whether you should use the word effect or affect, simply use impact.
- When buying bedsheets, look for striped ones. It will make it much easier to find the long and short sides.
- If you accidentally press the spacebar and scroll down the page, you can press Shift+Space and go back to where you were.
- Don’t save your banking information on online stores. Makes impulse buying much more difficult if you have to track down your wallet.
- If you keep a baseball bat in your car for protection, put a sock over it. If they grab the bat, they will only get the sock, and you will get another swing.
- Filling in the ‘to’ field of an email last.
- When buying online, leave items in the shopping cart for a while. There is a good chance that the website is tracking this, and will lower the price overtime to entice you into buying.
- If your coworker ever calls in sick for work, you can do the same 1-3 days later. Your boss will think you have the same thing and it’s “going around the office.”
- Blink eyes rapidly for a minute before bed to tire yourself out.
- When lending a pen or marker hand it over without the cap, you are much more likely to get it back.
- If you have somewhat of a double chin or you want your jawline to be more defined in a picture, put your tongue on the roof of your mouth.
- Whenever you accidentally set off your smoke alarm, give your pets a treat so they learn to come to you when there actually is a fire and you need to escape.
- Remember that one 18-inch pizza is more pizza than two 12-inch pizzas.
ALMOST GOT LOST!🎵 Robin Trower – too Rolling Stoned
Who is considered the best dictator in history who did not commit war crimes against their own people?
🤣🤣🤣🤣 I won’t even call him A dictator because this person was better than 99% fat politicians around the world!
Colonel Gaddafi
Why? This is why ⬇️
- Electricity is free for all Libyans.
- Loans in Libya are free with 0% interest as banks are state owned.
- Homes are considered a human right in Libya – Gaddafi vowed that his parents would not get a house until everyone in Libya had a home. Gaddafi’s father has died while him, his wife and his mother were still living in a tent.
- All newly married people in Libya receive US$ 50,000 by the government to buy their first home to help the new family.
- Medical treatment and education are free in Libya. Before Colonel Muammar Gaddafi ruled the country, only 25% of Libyans were literate. Today the figure is around 83%.
- If Libyans wanted to take up farming as a career, the government funded people from equipment to seeds, all for free.
- The government subsidised 50% of the price of a new car if a Libyan citizen wanted to buy their first car.
- Petrol price in Libya is around $0.14 per litre.
- Libya has no debt externally and its reserves amounts to $150 billion – now globally frozen.
- The Libyan government would fund anyone who got a degree and if they could not get employment, and they would receive income as if they were employed until they got a job.
- The sale of Libyan oil is credited directly to the bank accounts of all Libyan citizens in proportion.
- A family would get US $5,000 if they had a new baby to support the childs upbringing.
- 40 loaves of bread in Libya costs around $0.15.
- 25% of Libyans have a university degree
Who needs socialism, democracy, capitalism, egalitarianism, etc etc blah blah when your leader thinks and does things for you.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers To Study:” Effect of Nuclear War on Global Agriculture”
Interesting solicitation from the Army Corp of Engineers (CoE) came out on Sept 10th, with bids due for submission yesterday on Sept 12th. Purpose of solicitation was for a study on how nuclear war will effect agriculture on a worldwide basis.
Seems they should have thought about this years ago! But interesting they want a study on this now.
Looks like the Russia-Ukraine conflict has suddenly gotten far more serious than anyone previously thought.
From the CoE announcement:
“The US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) intends to issue an award on a sole source basis (IAW FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)) with Terra Analytics, Inc., 966 10th Street, Boulder, Colorado 80302-7474, for the research and development of active research programs that focus on modeling impacts on the environment and the impacts of nuclear weapons on farm systems that optimizes AgriShock, a code suite for modeling the effects of nuclear weapons on agricultural systems.
The objective of this project is to build upon previous research efforts to develop and optimize AgriShock, a code suite for modeling the effects of nuclear weapons on agricultural systems. The minimum needs of this contract are that the contractor provide all personnel, equipment, facilities, supervision, and other items necessary to conduct studies that demonstrate modeling of nuclear warfare on a global scale that would lead to destruction of the agriculture systems such as farms. The contractor must be able to execute the following: 1) utilize AgriShock, code suite, to increase the geographic coverage to include former Eastern Block countries and implement software code on DoD TS/SCI level ERDC supercomputing resources; 2) update their AgriShock software code to regions beyond eastern Europe and western Russia, with regions chosen to support the ERDC mission to support the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) goals of modeling effects of nuclear events; 3) utilize the AgriShock software to incorporate aerial mapping; 4) extend the AgriShock software code by developing a beta radioisotope uptake model that reflects the manner in which a non-destructive nuclear event; and 5) ensure that the updated Agrishock software can be implemented on existing and/or new secure Linux-based ERDC HPC computing environments.
The intended procurement will be classified under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 541511 – Custom Computer Programming Services with a Small Business Size Standard of $34 million. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation document exists for this requirement. However, parties interested in responding to this notice shall submit technical data, including price, sufficient to determine capability in providing the same or similar product. All capability statements received by the closing date of the publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.
Capability statements shall be submitted only by e-mail as a Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, or Adobe PDF attachment to Shinita.M.Jordan@usace.army.mil and Sonia.J.Boyd@usace.army.mil. Statements are due by 12:00pm Central Time, Thursday, 12 September 2024. No phone calls will be accepted.”
Vladimir Putin Does Not Make Empty Threats
A few month ago a leak of a call between high ranking German officers appeared. They were discussing the possible deployment of a German Taurus cruse missile to Ukraine to be used against Russian targets.
It became obvious from the leak that any such deployment, aiming and firing of such a weapon can not happen without the participation of staff from the country that donated the weapon. This applies to the U.S. ATAMCS missiles, to the French/British SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles just as it would apply to the German Taurus cruse missile:
Gerhartz, [commander of the Luftwaffe], and his subordinates discussed how much Taurus training and support Germany might need to provide if Taurus missiles were sent to Ukraine, and whether this would include targeting and programming information.
…
Gerhartz said: ″When it comes to mission planning, for example, I know how the British do it, they do it completely in reachback [i.e. with support from people who are not forward-deployed]. They also have a few people on the ground, they do that, the French don’t. So, they also QC the Ukrainians when loading the SCALP, because Storm Shadow and SCALPS are relatively similar from a purely technical point of view. They’ve already told me that, yes, for God’s sake, they would also look over the shoulders of the Ukrainians when loading the Taurus.
The U.S. is currently discussing (archived) to allow Ukraine to use of long range weapons against targets within Russia, that is beyond targets on Ukrainian and former Ukrainian ground.
This would be qualitative transformation of the war in Ukraine into a NATO war with Russia.
The Russian President Vladimir Putin made this unequivocally clear.
Answer to a media question, September 12 2024, Kremlin.ru
Question: Over the past few days, we have been hearing statements at a very high level in the UK and the United States that the Kiev regime will be allowed to strike targets deep inside Russia using Western long-range weapons. Apparently, this decision is either about to be made, or has already been made, as far as we can see. This is actually quite extraordinary. Could you comment on what is going on?President of Russia Vladimir Putin:
…
[T]he Ukrainian army is not capable of using cutting-edge high-precision long-range systems supplied by the West. They cannot do that. These weapons are impossible to employ without intelligence data from satellites which Ukraine does not have. This can only be done using the European Union’s satellites, or US satellites – in general, NATO satellites. This is the first point.The second point – perhaps the most important, the key point even – is that only NATO military personnel can assign flight missions to these missile systems. Ukrainian servicemen cannot do this.
Therefore, it is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not. It is about deciding whether NATO countries become directly involved in the military conflict or not.
If this decision is made, it will mean nothing short of direct involvement – it will mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries are parties to the war in Ukraine. This will mean their direct involvement in the conflict, and it will clearly change the very essence, the very nature of the conflict dramatically.
This will mean that NATO countries – the United States and European countries – are at war with Russia. And if this is the case, then, bearing in mind the change in the essence of the conflict, we will make appropriate decisions in response to the threats that will be posed to us.
Russia has many means to respond to such threats. This includes direct fire on targets within France, the UK and the U.S. itself.
Vladimir Putin is not known for making empty threats.
I’ve Seen The Saucers – Elton John (1974)
Above-Ground “Incident” (Explosion) in Washington State, “Sends Message” to US – Device passed Right Over Naval Base Bremerton
The United States Geological Survey reports an “Other Event” caused the equivalent of a Magnitude 2.7 earthquake, 0.8 km ABOVE ground at 09:12 UTC this morning. Word is this “Other Event” was . . . . an explosion – possibly of a Hypersonic missile –sent as “a message” to the Untied States.
Here is a screen shot of the USGS website reporting this “Other Event:”
The regional map below shows the Coordinates of the the “Other Event:”
If this “Other Event” was a missile hit, then the missile would have had to pass over Naval Base Bremerton, WA to reach where the “Other Event” (explosion?) took place. Bremerton, near Seattle, is a massive, perhaps Primary, Naval Base for the US in the Pacific. The scalable map below shows Naval Base Bremerton:
There are mountains in that area where the “other event” took place at a “Depth” of -0.8km. Yes, that’s a minus sign in front of the “Depth” meaning the “Other Event” took place above the ground by about 2,624 feet. Some of the mountains in that area ARE that high. So if a missile hit a mountain at that height, the resulting explosion could very well register as a Magnitude 2.7 earthquake “above” ground.
For a frame of reference, when the World Trade Center in New York City collapsed in the attacks of September 11, 2001, seismographs registered the massive collapse as a Magnitude 2.1 “earthquake.” So the fact that this “Other Event” registers stronger . . . . as 2.7 . . . . gives readers an idea of how powerful this “other event” actually was.
There is no visual evidence of any Landslide in that area. There is no major snowpack yet, and so there is no sign of any massive Avalanche.
So what caused this “Other Event” as being reported by the US Geological Survey (HERE)?
Was it a “message” to the USA over its continued meddling in the Russia-Ukraine conflict?
Was it a clear warning from, perhaps, a Russian Submarine, that the US authorizing Ukraine to use West-supplied, long-range, precision missiles against Russia, could result in Russia using missiles against the USA?
That decision on whether or not Ukraine will be allowed to use long range weapons, will be made today, and is expected to be announced from the White House.
Russian President Putin, just yesterday, warned that if this decision is made, and Ukraine is given use of West-supplied missiles to hit Russia, then the United States, European countries and NATO will be “at war” with Russia. (Story Here)
It is starting to LOOK like, the U.S. was just sent a very real message.
How bad exactly is the quality of Chinese cars?
I am Chinese.
Around 2007, my father bought a Toyota Camry.
At that time, we had to pay extra to buy it because it was in such high demand; they wouldn’t sell it to us without the additional payment.
We used this car until 2013.
Except for the first year, every day was either spent repairing the car or on the way to repair it.
From issues with the CD player to various strange noises and problems with different air conditioning components,
By the fifth year, it started burning oil. I had to buy two barrels of engine oil online and keep them in the trunk for frequent top-ups myself.
However, it’s worth noting that it only broke down twice.
Did you think I would say its quality was terrible?
Well, compared to the domestically produced car my aunt bought, this one is actually a bit better. The domestic car had even more problems and broke down about ten times or so.
Later on, our family switched to a BMW 5 Series while my aunt got a diesel version of Land Rover.
The BMW 5 Series has never broken down (the BMW 520), except for having really poor sound quality.
It only needs maintenance every 10,000 kilometers and is about twice as fuel-efficient as the Camry 2.4.
The idea that Japanese cars are fuel-efficient is simply a lie; you can check out recent news videos where various parts manufacturers in Japan apologized for faking their products.
In 2020, my cousin bought a domestic car and our family thought he was crazy: BYD Han.
But we purchased a Wuling Hongguang in ’15 which has proven very sturdy and durable; we’ve used it as a delivery vehicle with basically no issues at all.
So yes, there were still some minor problems with BYD Han in 2020 but its quality truly surprised us—it’s fantastic both inside and performance-wise—and extremely fuel-efficient too!
Now it’s 2024; my cousin’s BYD Han is already considered outdated in China.
In ’23-’24 models of similar quality have become one-third cheaper while offering better performance.
China’s automotive market has developed over twenty years now—we’ve moved past just recognizing brands.
The era when junk cars could be sold at high prices just by slapping on Toyota badges is over.
Now you can get an incredibly reliable BYD Qin L that runs up to 2000 km on one tank of gas for around $14,000!
I know many people believe that regardless of how excellent any product may be if it’s labeled “made in China,” it’ll turn into trash.
But China is now the largest automobile consumer market globally—every brand you’re familiar with sells cars here.
On the contrary, your markets are quite closed off with little competition.
If you look up news about America imposing a full tax rate of 100% on Chinese cars you’ll see how much progress China’s auto industry has made this year!
Compared even just two years ago—the difference feels like two different eras’ products!
Every country has stubborn thinkers; there seem especially many here in China,
Even so Japanese cars are quickly losing half their sales volume here!
Of course German cars are indeed good—but that’s solely referring to gasoline vehicles!
Hybrid vehicles from anywhere other than Chinese brands don’t perform well at all—Toyota hybrids have been laughed at during evaluations!
The world really is fascinating!
Thirty years ago import tariffs on automobiles were set at an astonishingly high rate of150%, while America shouted free trade;
Today America calls for increasing tariffs on Chinese automobiles up to100%, while China advocates free trade instead!
How interesting! The BYD Qin L sells for only ¥14k without needing purchase tax,
with highly reliable quality selling around20 thousand units monthly since its upgrade!
Also part of why people still buy Toyotas here despite everything else being said—is because ours offer global lowest prices along with significant discounts available at each dealership!
Moreover our local Volkswagen ID4 costs roughly half what you’d pay back home!
Even if America prevents Taiwan from trading with us—we’re still making decent phones ourselves!
Why do some people still doubt whether Chinese folks can produce great products?
Mosul (2019) – Humvee Combat Scene – Iraq War
What is it with Chinese people putting bones in everything they eat?
It’s not just Chinese people, it’s prevalent all over Asia.
While most Western cooks prefer trimmed meat and filleted fish, Asian diners like to eat their food off the bone and shell.
In Asia it is traditional practice, not a style.
Eating has always been one of life’s great tactile and sensual pleasures.
There’s nothing more primal than eating a roast chicken with your hands, tearing off the legs and wings and using your teeth to get all the meat from the bones. It is as satisfying as digging into a plate of barbecued ribs with the sauce staining your fingernails, or attacking every crevice of a crab, so you can suck out the tasty tomalley.
However somewhere in the course of Western society’s prudish progress, it was decided genteel people shouldn’t touch their food. Fine cuisine isn’t devoured but nibbled on.
Fish is filleted, meat is trimmed and deboned, even the skin on potatoes and fruit has to be removed for sanitised consumption.
In Asian food preparation the portion of meat and vegetables etc. are cut into smaller pieces before or after cooking depending on the nature of the dish.
A whole roast is an example in Chinese cuisine. It is cut up to accommodate the sharing of the food. Smaller portions of meat are chopstick friendly. Communal dining.
There is an old saying: ”the nearer the bone, the sweeter the meat”. Not only do bones add nutritional value, but they add a ton of flavour to the cooking process as well!
- Uyghur Lamb Pilaf; northern China
Meat bones are surrounded by fat, so as the bone heats the marrow its juices penetrate the meat and add a depth of flavour that does not exist with a boneless cut.
- Hokkien stewed herbal pork; Malaysia
Bone-in food is tastier as well as nutritious. During cooking the bone releases fat and high concentration of collagen, gelatin, and glycine – these nutrients play a role in the health of our immune system.
- A grilled fish served in Japanese restaurant.
Bone-in meat is sustainable and reduces food wastage. Both fish and meat industries generate large amounts of waste, bones being a significant portion of them.
In Chinese cooking a sizeable whole fish is thoroughly prepped and cooked head to tail and served as diners appreciate picking on the various parts of the fish including the head, which may appear gross to some.
- Dim sum braised ‘phoenix claws’ – chicken feet – are ever popular.
Cooked heads and feet are common street and restaurant food in China and parts of Asia.
Fish head curry: the ‘angry looks’ reflects freshness. The head of a chilled or frozen fish looks sedate.
THIS REALLY HAPPENED WHILE SHE WAS SLEEPING IN SCARY VIDEOS
What is China going to do now? The US has just forced ASML to stop repairing and providing spare parts for any advanced lithography machines already in China’s possession?
China needs do nothing. Just sit back and enjoy the drama to be played out between ASML and the US.
Those machines were purchased with guarantee/warranty and service agreements tied in at the outset.
Just enforce every clause and claim damages for breaches, if any.
Meanwhile, carry on with the endeavours to be self sufficient in the supply chain.
Time is precious and is meant to be spent thinking of ways to leverage the huge US debts in hand for the benefits of the nation.
Deliver the knock-out punch if need to and time opportune.
As a cashier, have you ever seen a customer do something that made you say, “you can’t be serious…”?
Oh my favorite was a guy who came into walmart to buy beer. Now at walmart I was new. Just finished training. So I was all about following the rules. One of the rules was about beer. One was if they look under 30 ask for ID. Two if they touch the beer and don’t have ID. You can’t sell it to them.
Had a gentlemen come through my line. Looked under 30. Asked for ID. Was told he didn’t have it. So I refused to sell it to him. He started getting mad. Gave me a sob story of how he traveled out of state (I do live in a tourist state), doesn’t have his ID on him, he left it back home. I said sorry I am not allowed to sell it. His dad was behind him, said I will buy it for him. I stated the policy and again refused. Then started getting screamed at for refusing to sell it to them by both of them. AS this was happening a manager I absolutely despised walked by I asked her for help. She walked up stated the policy and proceeded to walk away. So they started screaming across the store to her. And telling me no wonder you don’t know how to do your job, if you have managers like this. Finally after 10 minutes of this. Another manager comes over, and talks to them. They calm down and the man admits his ID is in his car and goes out and gets it. He is old enough and was able to get his alcohol. If he would have just done this in the first place, he could have been gone right away. But instead he yelled at me for over 20 minutes while my managers did nothing for it. I was sent on break when I was done with him.
Kidnapping By A Cartel Scene – Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)
What is the dumbest death you have heard of?
Back in the mid nineteen-eighties, I was a diener, a coroner’s assistant. I would assist all three coroners with the autopsies, bringing in the bodies, putting personal articles aside, and providing all required tools.
.
One day a young lady of approximately twenty years of age was brought in. She truly looked like she was sleeping. All of the tubes, bandages, and so forth provided by the hospital in their attempt to save her were still attached. She was still warm and looked like she could wake up at any moment except for one glaring problem: a hole in the side of her head at the temple.
.
What made it the dumbest death I’d seen was the circumstances of her death. It seems that during a drug and booze-filled party, they decided to play Russian-Roulette. With a semi-automatic handgun.
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 2 1/4 cups boiling water
- 1 (6 ounce) package wild rice
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix all ingredients in ungreased casserole dish.
- Cover tightly and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
- Uncover and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
Will you turn in all of your guns to Harris and let her know if your neighbors have any guns, too?
Let me point you over at Illinois for a moment. This is not an argument; just an explanation.
Illinois has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country.
Illinois also has one of the highest firearms homicide rates in the country. All of that gun control isn’t stopping it remotely; if there is any correlation at all, it would imply that disarmament causes an INCREASE in violent crime.
But whatever.
Because, you see, Illinois also has their hogwash “catch and release” program. When they catch criminals committing crimes… they let them go. They have laws in place to STOP criminals from going to jail. Their legislation actively works to FREE the violent criminals who are committing the gun crimes.
Allow that to sink in for a moment.
Illinois: We want to stop gun crimes.
Illinois: We forbid law-abiding people from having guns.
Illinois: We refuse to punish criminals.
And this plan catostrophically fails.
It turns out that you cannot stop criminals by being nice to the criminals and targeting the people who do NOT commit crimes.
<-=O=->
So here is my thought process.
I own guns. I paid for them myself. They cost me money, and they are MY property.
I have never committed any crimes. Not just gun crimes, but ANY crimes. No thefts. No drugs. No assaults. No traffic infractions. I have a perfectly clean record. There is no way that gun crime can be reduced by any laws that target me, because my current amount of crime is zero and crime cannot be reduced below zero.
The current penalty for a Convicted Felon being caught with an Illegal Firearm is… basically nothing.
So if they catch me, a law-abiding person that has never committed any crime, in possession of a firearm, what do you think the penalty will be?
If they hand wave gun possession charges for guys with a history of rape and armed robbery, then do you really think they’re going to send me to prison for gun possession charges as a law abiding guy who has never done anything wrong?
The Democrats have made it perfectly clear what their position is. They do not care about crime, and their courts have no teeth.
So go ahead and make my guns illegal. I do not care anymore. I’m not turning in anything, and they’ll never do anything to me for having them. In fact, if I did get convicted of some sort of a crime, the Demcratic Party would start offering me government benefits for job seeking and additional grants for schooling, because they treat criminals BETTER than they treat law abiding people.
We Were Soldiers – Final Battle Scene
As a parent, what was your “okay, that’s the last time they are babysitting for us” moment with your babysitter?
I took a job at a local auto parts store and found a highly recommended day care provider less than a mile up the road from the job. (this is important). I made sure the appropriate paperwork was filed for her to get paid, made sure she was aware of all allergies, medications, had my son’s epi pen, etc. I packed their meals and snacks all summer long. They came home sunburned, exhausted and ravenous every day. I figured great! They’ve been playing outside, I know they ate well, they eat a huge dinner and go to bed. I found out otherwise about mid-way through August when my then 9 year old daughter WALKED THRU THE DOOR TO MY WORK ALONE! Sobbing and sweaty she tells me “mom, kevin needs his shot and she won’t give it to him!’ I call an ambulance, the cops and my boss to tell him im running up to take care of an emergency. I get there, my kid who is violently deathly allergic to bees is in full anaphylaxis and being treated by emts. My other 2 kids are sitting on the back steps on their hands, being “punished because your sister ran off”. My day care provider is inside her LOCKED HOUSE, in the AC, drunk as a skunk and getting high. I finally get my kids squared away and one asks “can we have lunch today?” Cops turn around and say “what do you mean, today”. “She keeps our food, we don’t get to eat. It turned out that this highly recommended provider would turn all the kids out into the yard at 8 am. They got popsicles at 10 and 2. They were not fed. They were not allowed inside except to use the bathroom. The little ones did not get naps unless they fell asleep in the yard. Obviously she never watched my kids again. She didn’t watch any others either. Charges were filed, her certifications revoked and off she went to jail. I saw her a few years later and she acted like we were best friends, but then said “Hey you still owe me for the last 2 weeks of babysitting for you, it’s still on my books”………………..
What do pilots think when they are traveling on a plane as a passenger?
Interesting question. I’m a retired military pilot and when I travel as a passenger there are a few things I try to do:
- I try to obtain a seat just forward of the wing, as that is typically where the center of lift is on an aircraft, and will be subject to less turbulence.
- Once seated, I always make sure I know where the exit doors are and how many rows they are from me. I actually read the seat-back instructions on cockpit egress, especially how to open the cockpit doors. (To my surprise, usually the middle doors have to be opened, pulled into the inside of the airplane, twisted, and then thrown out the window.)
- I remind myself that the crew on this flight are professionals and fully trained to operate the aircraft safely under all conditions. There is zero role for me to play in any capacity. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight.
- On flights with internet service, I frequently will monitor weather conditions and flight routing. It is amazing what you can see about the US airspace on sites such as FlightRadar24, and weather radar on MyRadar. As a former pilot, I can usually quickly determine how weather might affect our flight. I’m constantly monitoring our flight progress.
- If the inflight entertainment system allows it, I usually listen to the ATC broadcast. Something about the radio transmissions I find calming and yet informative. I recall once, flying into JFK, I was listening to approach control, and it was pretty clear there was a backup in traffic due to weather. Approach kept asking the pilot of our aircraft to reduce approach speed. At one point the controller said “American 234 reduce speed to 150 knots”, and the pilot answered “Unable”. I told my wife then, “we’re going around. The approach pattern is too crowded and they’re going to have to space out the aircraft”. Sure enough, a few seconds later I heard Approach say “American 234 climb and maintain 2500′ turn right to 120”…listening to that conversation and understanding it was kind of fun.
Otherwise, I’m just another passenger doing what passengers do. Reading a book, watching the inflight entertainment system, or taking a nap.
I will say that occasionally my seatmate will speak with me and find out that I used to be a Navy pilot, and I’m always asked “Could you land this plane in an emergency?” <sigh> I always try to reassure that person that the flight crew is very professional and such a scenario will never occur.
What’s the hardest truth of life?
My long-term girlfriend, who I and everyone else assumed I would marry, split up with me when I was 34. That was still young enough for me to find someone new, get married and start a family. But things did not go well for me: I was broken hearted for years, got really ill, struggled for money and regular employment.
By the time I had medical, economic and domestic stability, I was 44 years old. After a few initially promising relationships failed, I am now 50 years old.
Everything is different at this age and in the year 2024, people’s expectations of future partners are so high. As a middle aged adult, your social life is usually pretty narrow, it’s really hard to meet potential partners through normal social interactions. Dating apps are only good for the most attractive 10% of men.
Essentially, the horrible truth that I have realised is that when you break up with a significant partner in your 30s, it is very possible to never have a loving relationship ever again.
“The U.S Empire refuses to grow up” | Dr. Cornel West
What’s the most useless thing your significant other or spouse ever bought?
My husband once bought a hydrogen generator on eBay.
When it arrived, he was like a kid on Christmas.
Me: “What’s this?”
Husband: “Oh, it’s really cool! It’s a hydrogen generator!”
Me: “What’s it for?”
Husband: “It’s for making hydrogen, of course!”
Me: “But why?”
Husband: “It was really cheap. And it makes hydrogen!”
Husband spent a weekend rigging up the hydrogen generator with a bunch of gadgets, and the following weekend, he invited a couple of guys over to test it out.
When they were ready to try it out, my husband carried the hydrogen generator outside. Then he took a balloon and hooked it up to the machine before we all stepped back about ten feet away.
My husband pushed some buttons on the remote control, and we all watched as the balloon filled up with hydrogen, and then a lighter flicked on and lit the balloon. For a second, nothing happened.
Then there was a loud “POP!” as we watched the balloon burst into a giant ball of flames.
I swear, the three grown men giggled like grade school boys.
"The first sixty years in a little boy’s life are the most difficult."
What is the significance of building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future?
Very significant.
Because it means that China does not expect the EU to allow the free import of Chinese products, China is giving up on Europe as a major destination market.
This means that China must open up to African products and agricultural goods, then invest in Africa for manufacturing. In the next stage, African markets will spring up, and they will buy Chinese products.
This cycle will take 30–40 years.
When will the United States’ long-arm jurisdiction in the South China Sea come to an end！Why do they always interfere in the internal affairs of other countries?
Why does USA interfere in other’s internal affairs?
There is only 1 motive for USA: money & power/dominance. It is modern-day colonisation.
1, money
Both US military industry (MIC) & Federal Reserve (FED) are private corporations run by capitalist sharks & not by (responsible) government who would focus on the welfare of the country eg economic development.
MIC makes tons of money thru wars & arms sales. They lobby US government to create wars in other countries. US politicians also make $$$ by buying MIC stocks or working as a MIC salesman to other country.
Another capitalist shark is FED who manipulates the US interest to suck in capitals from other country.
Wall Street shark will go into countries bankrupted by FED or ruined by MIC to make money & to to control other’s economy & thus govt.
See, if there is peace in the world, MIC, FED or Wall Street will create war somewhere so as to make money. Be it military war or monetary-financial war.
US senator L Graham accidentally told the truth: must win the Ukraine war because it is rich in minerals.
2, power/US dominance ie modern-day conlonisation
Control other’s government & make them a US puppet.
Then control other’s resources eg Ukraine’s minerals, Syria’s oil & rich agricultural land.
US wisdom
In 1961, the then pres D Eisenhower warned against the establishment of private MIC which will distort US politics & threaten democracy.
Many US pres eg J Kennedy, R Nixon & more fought with the FED but failed.
conclusion
USA wont not let world peace to happen. USA must create unrest/war thru its puppets eg Ukraine & Philippines.
War is in the DNA of USA.
Are capitalist sharks nice to Americans?
Every year, US taxpayers pay the interest of the US debts that is created as aids to war-torn country.
Capitalist sharks make tons of money from wars, but pay little tax to benefit USA. For instance, sharks wont maintain infrastructure, resulting in train derailment almost daily. Making USA look like a under-developed 3rd world. The list is long.
Shorpy
CHINA SHUTS DOWN All U.S. Manufacturing INDUSTRIES… & U.S. NEVER Realized!
I plan on joining the US Army once I finish high school. Army veterans, any advice or little things I should know?
“I plan on joining the US Army once I finish high school. Army veterans, any advice or little things I should know?”
I’m going to give you answer you’re probably not expecting, but here it goes.
I cannot stress this one enough: Make sure you are in shape before you ship out. I could’ve stood to have done a few more pushups and two mile runs before I shipped out and while I did okay, make your life easier and exceed the standard before you ship.
Do not take anything personal in the Army.
I’m serious. The punishments will happen, you will get yelled at no matter what you do, and people, for one reason or another, will hate you. You don’t have to do anything to make them hate you, you just have to exist. Do what your rank can handle and move on.
Don’t think.
The amount of times my intelligence was insulted in the Army must number somewhere in the thousands. The Army has as prescribed way of doing things and nothing’s changing for anyone, you included. If you have an idea, just keep your mouth shut. The Army asks for ideas on improvement all of the time, and when they get them they ignore them. Don’t waste your breath. A decision has already been made and you weren’t apart of it.
Do not think or use common sense. That was my problem. It drove me insane. Instead, just relish in the fact you get paid to participate in the big circus the 1st and 15th each month. And, if you stick around long enough, you can retire from the big circus.
Mandatory fun isn’t fun.
You’d think fun is just fun, but when your battalion commander has an ‘org day’ (organizational day) on Saturday, just one of two days where you can be free from the BS, and 1SG says ‘it’s voluntary, but you will be there’, then the fun becomes ‘mandatory fun’. In other words, ‘burn my eyes out with a candle’ boring.
“You WILL eat a cheeseburger, you WILL have a soft drink, and you WILL have fun, HOOAH?”
Don’t drink and drive.
Sounds like common sense, doesn’t it? Many soldiers have none.
This was a DUI that happened in my unit in 2019. Two infantry Soldiers. One is dead. The other survived but had to have his leg amputated because it was mangled so badly. 0200 drunk driving, his sedan versus a parked Stryker. Guess who won? The Stryker.
His vehicle was put on display in front of his company by the unit’s battalion commander as a display of ‘failure of leadership.’ That wasn’t a failure of leadership. It was a Soldier who made many poor decisions in one night. He made his bed, and he was forced to lay in it. Sometimes the blame belongs directly on the Joe, not Joe’s NCO.
Don’t be that moron who drives drunk. Please.
Look, I feel like you are entitled to a peek at a world you will soon be apart of. This isn’t to deter you from joining, but rather prepare you. The Army is a real place with real people, and as glamorous as Hollywood might make our military appear, I assure you it’s not all that glamorous. Don’t be disillusioned. Many are for that exact reason.
Good luck!
Is it better to work longer for more money or to retire?
It depends on the individual’s needs, aspirations, and missions. For some, life is not enough to finish the bucket list, and for others, life is too long to do nothing.
One of my classmates is brighter than me, and he and I started jobs at the same level. He was one of the most content people in my life. He retired at the same level in the small city.
His mission was to live within minimal means, and he retired from the same job in his hometown for 18 years. He preferred to live the life of a hermit and moved to Canada after working for a few years in the same company in India. In contrast, I have worked in almost two careers, two in Canada.
For him, he was satisfied with his life, and I never stopped working. Still, the battle is on. My list kept extending, and I found this world too small. I want to work relentlessly. I hope to work until the last breath.
Some are happy with flowers, and some are unhappy even with a whole garden.
Every day is precious to me, and I may not even be reincarnated as a human in the next life; therefore, human life is an excellent gift from God, and I want to work until the end.
He is not wrong with his decision, and I am not mistaken.
Retiring and not retiring is a personal decision.
I hope it helps.
What is the reason for the United States’ fear of China and their military power? How did China become more advanced than the US in terms of military power?
It is true that China is really very very strong militarily and worst most of their strength is hidden away and if you were to fight China there will be many many surprises waiting for you!
But that is not the reason for your paranoid of China. It is your politicians and your media. Demonising of China that condition you into this paranoia! You fear because they want you to fear China instead of knowing your own failures.
But the truth is China don’t want a war or any war. China prefers to leave you doing your things as what you do is really hurting yourself anyway so why change you! Chinese believed the best way to win a war is to never have to fight a war in the first place. Moreover a dead country cannot help China! Or a destroyed country cannot buy their stuffs!
If you truly grasp China you will not fear China at all. Unless you want to hurt them! Then yes you better fear them! You will meet more than your match. China will hit you as hard as you hit them if not more. But they really don’t want to do that unless you underestimated them and you pick a fight with them. They don’t want start a fight.
Smart and intelligent people don’t want to fight they will find a way to beat you without a fight. The will out wit you, out sell you, out innovate you, out perform you, our earn you and out invest you till you depends on them and you cannot do without them. That is China!
An immature barbaric nation with no other capabilities other than fighting and war mongering thinks that fighting wars is the answer to everything that is why the US is at war 238 out of 248 years of its existence! And is it helping the US. Is it winning? It had a perfect start in 1945 when the rest of the world fought 2 world wars and lost everything but yet in 80 years the US is almost dilapidated, broke and unsustainable! Owing 35 trillion dollars and adding another trillion every 100 days! That is the USA!
Patsy Parisi – The Sopranos
Which armies showed the least mercy to their enemies?
The Assyrian army was infamous for its extreme cruelty and brutality.
Such was its reputation that cities they marched on would surrender without a fight because people knew that if you lost, which you probably would, you’d be absolutely savaged.
Wrote Ashurnasirpal of his treatment of a captured city:
“I built a pillar over against his city gate, and I flayed all the chief men who had revolted, and I covered the pillar with their skins; some I walled up within the pillar, some I impaled upon the pillar on stakes, . . . and I cut off the limbs of the officers, of the royal officers who had rebelled. . . . Many captives from among them I burned with fire, and many I took as living captives. From some I cut off their hands and their fingers, and from others I cut off their noses, their ears, and their fingers(?), of many I put out the eyes. I made one pillar of the living, and another of heads, and I bound their heads to posts (tree trunks) round about the city. Their young men and maidens I burned in the fire . . . Twenty men I captured alive and I immured them in the wall of his palace. . . . The rest of them [their warriors] I consumed with thirst in the desert of the Euphrates.”—Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia, by D. D. Luckenbill, 1926
Assyrian reliefs show captured prisoners being impaled en masse, flayed alive, having their tongues pulled out, ears and noses cut off, eyes poked out at spearpoint, and hooks forced through their jaws.
Can a cop really give you a DUI for sleeping in your car while intoxicated?
One night after a long evening out with friends, I found myself in a tricky situation. I had a bit too much to drink, and I knew better than to get behind the wheel. So, I did what I thought was the responsible thing—I decided to sleep it off in my car. Parked it in a quiet lot, reclined the seat, and figured I’d be fine by morning.
But of course, life has a way of throwing you curveballs.
Around 3 AM, I woke up to the sight of flashing red and blue lights in my rearview mirror. My heart dropped. A cop was walking up to my window, and all I could think was, “Oh no, I’m about to get a DUI for just sleeping in my car!” I rolled down the window, still groggy, and tried to act as calm as possible.
The officer asked me what I was doing there, and I explained that I had been drinking earlier and didn’t feel safe driving, so I decided to sleep it off. I made sure to tell him that the car was off and the keys were stashed away in the glove compartment—not in the ignition or anywhere near me. I’d heard that keeping the keys out of your reach can sometimes make a difference in these situations, and luckily, it seemed to work in my favor.
The cop gave me a long look, probably sizing up the situation, and then asked me to step out of the car. At this point, I’m thinking, This is it. I’m getting arrested. But instead of cuffing me or giving me a DUI, he said something I’ll never forget: “You did the right thing by not driving. But next time, find somewhere safer to sleep.”
Turns out, because I wasn’t actively driving and had no intention of doing so while intoxicated, the officer decided not to charge me with a DUI. I think what really helped was being honest, cooperative, and making sure the keys were out of sight. After a quick chat, he actually let me go, reminding me to be more careful about where I park next time, and to maybe look for a friend’s couch instead of my car.
So, yes, a cop can technically charge you with a DUI even if you’re just sleeping in your car while drunk. But in my case, taking a few extra precautions—like stashing the keys and not being behind the wheel—helped me avoid that fate. It was a close call, but a huge lesson in how to handle those moments when you’re trying to do the right thing.
What’s the dumbest case you’ve ever had on jury duty?
It was a large drug sweep. Police had been watching a street dealer and his crew for over a week from a nearby apartment. On the day they finally decided to make the arrests, they blockaded the entire street from end to end and literally arrested every person on the block.
All of them.
Little old ladies sitting on their front porch? Arrested.
Someone driving by in a vehicle? Arrested.
Some guy walking his dog? Arrested.
The store owner sweeping his sidewalk on the corner? Arrested.
It was an arrest later and invent charges later scenario.
From what we were told, around a dozen dealers, lookouts, runners and various gang members were given plea deals as they were found carrying drugs or weapons and most had priors or even current warrants for previous charges. Basically everyone who was obviously guilty took deals and there was nothing to argue over for them.
The old lady, the store owner and a couple of others that the police couldn’t think of what charges to bring against them were released after 48 hours sitting in jail. This had happened a couple months prior, but we were given play by play details of the entire situation as if it was supposed to impress us, even though all it did was make the police sound incompetent.
What was brought before us as a jury were two defendants who happened to be driving past in a vehicle. They were not found with any drugs or weapons. They were arrested for having a few hundred dollars in cash on them and the charges were various “intent to purchase” and “intent to distribute” based on being in a vehicle with money on a street that happened to have drug dealers on it. It was about half a dozen rewordings at various degrees that we were expected to choose between to convict.
During testimony the police could not identify either of the defendants as having interacted with any of the dealers or the street gang at all. Two officers even gave completely inaccurate descriptions of the vehicle, not even agreeing on the number of doors or the color. One said it was a hatchback (it wasn’t) the other said it was a two door sports car (it was a 4 door sedan).
The police spent hours telling us about how they had watched the dealers, how much drugs they had seized, how many weapons they found. And not one single word of evidence that had anything to do with the two defendants in front of us other than: they were in a car nearby that day so we took their money.
The prosecutor even called some of the street gang as witnesses to admit that they were dealing drugs that day and that they had agreed to a plea deal. The defense only asked them a single question each: Did you sell drugs to my clients? No.
None of them had anything to say about the defendants.
The two defendants decided to testify on their own behalf. They had just purchased a used vehicle for cash and were driving home with a little bit of money left over. They still had the receipt from the used car lot on them, it was in the police evidence and the date was the morning of the arrest.
The prosecution spent 2 and half days parading cop after cop and gang member after gang member in front of us to tell us all about the drug operation and how many people they had gotten to take plea deals. And in 2 and half days no one could identify the defendants as having done anything illegal, they just drove past while having some cash in their pocket and the police wanted it.
It was the third day before lunch when the case was closed and we were sent to deliberations. The entire room just looked at each other and was like: do we even need to vote?
The decision was lets get one more free lunch out of this and then cast a vote. We went once around the room to make sure no one had any questions before delivering a not guilty on all counts for both defendants. The prosecutor had the balls to look shocked as if he actually expected to convict with no evidence against them.
This was around 1991 in a state known for its corruption in a city with trigger happy cops, the only shocking part was the arrests had been made without anyone getting killed. Other than that it was par for the course in that city at the time.
Police Escort Shootout Scene – Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)
What is the US government’s relationship with its Pacific allies, such as Japan, Philippines, and Vietnam?
Since defeated in WW2, Japan is a US colony who has no strategic sovereignty.
Philippines
PH was once colonised by USA. After PH became independent & USA left PH, USA has set up a network in PH. Hence, PH under some pres are neither pro-USA or anti-USA. But some PH pres such as Marcos are 100+1% pro-USA. As a result, PH under Marcos is just a US puppet & has no strategic sovereignty either, just like Japan.
Hence, we see Marcos does not mind to lead PH to war with China for the interest of USA. But at the expense of PH & Filipinos.
Normally when we see a pres willing to sacrifice its country & people, normally it has something to do with money, money, money.
Vietnam
It is half-half. Sometime pro-USA & sometimes pro-China. North Vietnam is more communist & pro-China.
South is more pro-USA because USA set up a base in the south during Vietnam war. Hence, we see South is more corrupted.
North is well aware that USA wants to overthrow the communist party & then make Vietnam a US puppet.
Both Russia & China have some influence on Vietnam. After all, all 3 were communist comrades before.
all 3
Japan has no choice after WW2. Both Vietnam have a choice. It all depends on the wisdom of the leader. So far Vietnam has shown some wisdom. PH’s Marcos has not.
Have Russia and China developed a new generation of hypersonic missiles that can evade anti-missile defense systems?
As far as I know the Russian missiles go straight in. But they’re fast. Despite what the US says, the Russians have proven that the Patriot is not equipped to shoot down the Kinzhal and Zircon missiles.
The Chinese missiles are on another level.
They come in at Mach 10 and Mach 18 for the DF-21 and DF-26 missiles. And they evade as they come in. They can see. It’s a new class of weapons that the US has named as ASBMs (anti-ship ballistic missiles).
These can also hit land targets.
Then China went up another level with hypersonic wave riders. They don’t come in high at all. Their terminal phase is like a cruise missile at Mach 12. The DF-27 is the second generation missile with a range of 5,000 miles.
The DF-17 is their first generation Wave Rider at 1,100 miles and terminal at Mach 10.
This is what China has shown.
So it is likely they have a better missile to surprise enemies with. At least that has been their MO.
Which is the iconic photo ever taken in human history?
The photos of Sophie Scholl taken right before he execution of the Nazis in 1943 really gets to me. She knows her days are numbered, she’s only 21 years old and the portable guillotine that will soon behead her is already brought in. And yet she looks like a defiant punk rocker with her short hairstyle. She laughs in the face of unavoidably certain death.
Scholl, together with her brother who’d be executed alongside her, had been leaving leaflets in books. Leaflets against her own government. That was her “crime” — little notes. Unbelievably poignant, to-the-point and powerful little pieces of writing. Her final words are worth reading even today:
“The real damage is done by those millions who want to ‘survive.’ The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won’t take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don’t like to make waves—or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honour, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It’s the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you’ll keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn.”
“A little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn.” Powerful. Incredibly powerful. This is the sort of thing worth reading. I just woke up and wanted to share it here because it moved me. Did something to me. Stirred the soul, and it’ll stir yours, too.
Scholl’s words ring as true in the year 2024 as they did 81 years ago when she penned them down — too many of us are, indeed, living small and unremarkable lives, scared not to “rock the boat”, trying to avoid trouble. Few of us have the moral and physical bravery to put it all on the line for a higher purpose.
As a police officer, what do you think of vice laws?
The worst assignment I ever had was Vice. My squad worked exclusively on Pedophiles and Human trafficking. It was horrific. Imagine having to watch videos of children being raped over and over and over for hours looking for a face reflected in a window or any clues as to who/where it was happening. Our saviors were oddly enough the US Postal Inspectors. Read this to the end and I guarantee you will find it interesting. Bookies. Prostitutes. Informants. The Chicago Mob aka “The Outfit” and some horrible things I wouldn’t dare graphicly describe because I don’t want it in your head. I wish I could get it out of mine. Anyway…
One Postal Inspector in particular I worked with often could in one glance tell if they were photos and videos that had already resulted in an arrest or if it was a new victim. I had absolutely no idea Postal Inspectors were the absolute experts in the field. They could identify victims at a glance and tell me “That was a 9 month old baby named Mary from Austin Texas. The perp was her stepfather and he was put away 3 years ago for life”. One look. Very rarely did I bring them evidence that they weren’t familiar with and could recite case details with no notes.
I could hand that toxic waste over to them and give them 3 minutes to tell me everything I needed to know about the case without having to watch it or examine it closely. They’re the unsung heroes of Vice.
It was in Vice I learned not to arrest the Prostitutes but work with them for information and to be full time informants. Prostitutes know everyone and everything going on in the street. I never met one that wasn’t doing it to support a drug habit. They were almost all victims of childhood abuse themselves.
They had a hard life. Locking them up solved nothing and served no purpose. They were victims of every crime you could imagine and just trying to make it another day. They helped me solve so many cases and even more importantly let me know who was who and what was up on the street. That inside info on the criminal underbelly of the city was absolutely priceless. One of the main reasons I made Detective. Nobody can read the street better than a prostitute. They knew everyone and what they were doing or not doing. Where they lived. Real name. Who they ran with. Where their baby mamas lived and where they laid their head at night. I made many arrests from their information.
Conversely I would also get calls from them at 4 am from the City Jail and have to get out of bed and go down and squash the arrest and walk them out the back door….drive them home. They all kept me safe and in the know and I kept them from having to be locked up several times a year (which did absolutely nothing to help society). My informants had my number to call 24/7 to give me info or to void an arrest from a dick head Cop that would lock them up even after knowing they were my informant. We didn’t allow them in residential or tourist areas for the most part unless they really blended in and or there weren’t too many (thus causing calls to the Bosses from civilians). It was symbiotic. You can’t stop it. You can control it to a degree and work with them. I was far more carrot than stick in these types of things.
As far as Vice Laws? You will never get rid of gambling and other vice. We just kept things in check and the “shit to shoe level” as we used to say. Kept it under control and out of sight. You can run your secret Poker club speakeasy style in some hidden basement club but if you got too out of control and we began hearing about problems it was causing we stepped in. No need to bust every bookie in every bar. If they start breaking legs and causing problems then we act.
Thus bookies and Policy racketeers (basically a non official lottery) in St Louis wouldn’t fold your leg over and stuff it in your back pocket if you couldn’t pay up the vig. They just cut you off and let the other bookies know never to take your action again. Problem solved. No violence. No Cops. No hassles. Just working guys putting some money on the game.
I also knew the no shit Chicago Mobs (The Outfit) Cappo’s that ran St Louis and would come to them if one of their “interests” was causing problems and they would take care of it. They had hung out in a nondescript “club” on the St Louis waterfront in a industrial area where no civilian would ever go. I discovered it on Patrol as a Rookie when I noticed expensive cars outside a small building with no windows (and these cars were NEVER touched in an area where cars were broken into and stolen by the dozen a day).
Curious I knocked, was invited in and found a cozy bar/steakhouse with guys that may as well have had “Mafia” tattooed on their forehead. I knew instantly this was far above my paygrade and instead introduced myself, shook hands and met everyone.
We all knew who was who and what was what instantly and the atmosphere between us was cordial and professional. They said I was the first Cop in living memory to wander in there (probably because I was too dumb to know better being a freshly minted Patrolman still on Probation).
Now I knew that The Outfit ran a lot of Vice in STL even as a Rookie Patrolman. I asked if it would be acceptable if I had any issues with their “concerns” to come and speak to them. We both saw the value of staying out of each other’s way and they acquiesced politely. That relationship paid off over the years when I needed to locate a shitbum or fugitive, or if I saw things getting out of hand. They were like the unofficial Police for bad guys. They could locate and deliver ANY criminal in hours, not days and did me many solid favors without ever asking for the slightest favor from me whatsoever.
The Outfit liked to keep things smooth, quiet and profitable. If they ever hurt anyone I never heard about it. All the drama happened up North in Chicago as St Louis was like an outpost of their operation. They did have a HUGE war in St Louis in the 1970’s fought with car bombs. We “St Louis Metro Police” literally crushed them and they learned to keep their business nonviolent and out of sight. That whole crew I met worked for John “Johnny Apes” Monteleone whom I met several times. He was a stone cold killer but exceptionally amenable to working with Police to keep St Louis “quiet”.
He was a capo (some say Lieutenant which is wrong) for the big Boss of The Outfit, Angelo “The Hook” LaPietra who…thank God I never met. He was a psychopath and serial killer. He got his nickname from his early days as a Mob hit man by hanging his victims on meat hooks before murdering them. I don’t think he knew his guys liaised with Police because we were so far out of his orbit in Chicago. He is pictured below. Everyone of them were terrified by this guy. He killed many many people and ordered the deaths of hundreds of others. Luckily all that stayed up in Chicago. St Louis was a place they made money. Chicago and Las Vegas was where they made bodies.
LaPietra died a few years later and was replaced by Outfit boss Albert Tocco. Pictured below. My goal was to avert violence and keep things uneventful in St Louis. Luckily we were on the same page and had converging interests in suppressing random violent criminals who were bad for “us” both. I was told he knew his St Louis crew had Police contact. I have no idea if he knew it was me but i would doubt it. St Louis may as well have been on another planet. Just a franchise of the main corporation.
His people were even more amenable to my “suggestions” on who they needed to speak to and reign in. I’m sure several local unaffiliated thugs caught a beating after our talks which squashed a lot of tit for tat murders. Later (years later) as a Detective on task forces I was shown pictures of me (taken from a hidden “pole cam” ) walking in and out of the clubhouse and advised (unofficially friend to friend) they had the whole place wired and investigated me for corruption. They later cleared me when the tapes showed I wasn’t dirty. I should also add only my permanent partner (and the FBI apparently) knew I had these contacts which I used to get information on criminals that weren’t “connected”.
There’s Vice and then there’s VICE. I had to weigh what I called the “totality of circumstances”. If the “State” is the only victim and there was no violence or outrageous behavior causing problems to regular civilians I usually gave them a pass with the proviso that they now owe me and must supply me info on “real crime” when asked. I had more favors owed on the street than leaves on the trees in Forest Park….and if I gave you MY marker I made good. My word was my bond.
*Edited for grammar and punctuation (I wrote this at midnight here in France which is the time I get most work done but if I go too late my typing gets a bit sketchy). Let me take this opportunity to thank you all for the nice comments and words of encouragement. I appreciate all of you, my fellow Quorans. As I have said before, the comment section to which you contribute is always the best part of my writing. Thank you and feel free to ask if I missed anything or you’re curious/want more detail. I don’t say that to drive engagement but because I find the follow up questions and your takes on what I write very interesting.
One last thing. I am writing a manuscript for a book now which is a long time coming but I have been lazy and enjoying retirement. I hate when people beg for up votes or likes but I’m using my Quora posts over the last 11 years as the bones for the book and the view count and up votes are my guide to what people want to hear about and what should be left out. If you want to see this in the book or think it should be in then go ahead and throw a like on there. It has proved a reliable way so far to decide what goes in and what dosen’t.
Again, thank you all.
Which countries support the Philippines in the South China Sea dispute? Has China really done something wrong this time?
Nobody
The US seems to realize that Taiwanese are not gonna declare Independence anytime soon and risk war
They are after all Chinese and they have that Chinese thinking and mindset about the damages that a war can do
So they are now going and goading the Philippines
Unfortunately that’s backfiring too
Bong Bong may be shameless lackey, but the Philippine establishment and Army and Business Community are all absolutely hell bent against any escalation with China
Ultimately it’s all Geography
- Just like South American Nations would always be under the US Shadow
- ASEAN nations will always be under the Chinese Shadow
- Indian Ocean Nations will always be under the Indian Shadow
They can’t take on the Alpha country and prosper
Philippines can’t take on China and survive
Even with all the US Support, they would be crunched like a Cola Can
Nobody supports Philippines
They want escalation to end and most of the Nations are prepared for peace
Many Nations are ready to make decisions on disputed territories with China even
Full Metal Jacket | Patrol Under Sniper Fire
Vladimir Putin Does Not Make Empty Threats
A few month ago a leak of a call between high ranking German officers appeared. They were discussing the possible deployment of a German Taurus cruse missile to Ukraine to be used against Russian targets.
It became obvious from the leak that any such deployment, aiming and firing of such a weapon can not happen without the participation of staff from the country that donated the weapon.
This also applies to the U.S. ATAMCS missiles, to the French/British SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles just as it would apply to the German Taurus cruse missile:
Gerhartz, [commander of the Luftwaffe], and his subordinates discussed how much Taurus training and support Germany might need to provide if Taurus missiles were sent to Ukraine, and whether this would include targeting and programming information.
…
Gerhartz said: ″When it comes to mission planning, for example, I know how the British do it, they do it completely in reachback [i.e. with support from people who are not forward-deployed]. They also have a few people on the ground, they do that, the French don’t. So, they also QC the Ukrainians when loading the SCALP, because Storm Shadow and SCALPS are relatively similar from a purely technical point of view. They’ve already told me that, yes, for God’s sake, they would also look over the shoulders of the Ukrainians when loading the Taurus.
The U.S. is currently discussing (archived) to allow Ukraine to use of long range weapons against targets within Russia, that is beyond targets on Ukrainian and former Ukrainian ground.
This would be qualitative transformation of the war in Ukraine into a NATO war with Russia.
The Russian President Vladimir Putin made this unequivocally clear.
Answer to a media question, September 12 2024, Kremlin.ru
Question: Over the past few days, we have been hearing statements at a very high level in the UK and the United States that the Kiev regime will be allowed to strike targets deep inside Russia using Western long-range weapons. Apparently, this decision is either about to be made, or has already been made, as far as we can see. This is actually quite extraordinary. Could you comment on what is going on?President of Russia Vladimir Putin:
…
[T]he Ukrainian army is not capable of using cutting-edge high-precision long-range systems supplied by the West. They cannot do that. These weapons are impossible to employ without intelligence data from satellites which Ukraine does not have. This can only be done using the European Union’s satellites, or US satellites – in general, NATO satellites. This is the first point.The second point – perhaps the most important, the key point even – is that only NATO military personnel can assign flight missions to these missile systems. Ukrainian servicemen cannot do this.
Therefore, it is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not. It is about deciding whether NATO countries become directly involved in the military conflict or not.
If this decision is made, it will mean nothing short of direct involvement – it will mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries are parties to the war in Ukraine. This will mean their direct involvement in the conflict, and it will clearly change the very essence, the very nature of the conflict dramatically.
This will mean that NATO countries – the United States and European countries – are at war with Russia. And if this is the case, then, bearing in mind the change in the essence of the conflict, we will make appropriate decisions in response to the threats that will be posed to us.
Russia has many means to respond to such threats. This includes direct fire on targets within France, the UK and the U.S. itself.
Vladimir Putin is not known for making empty threats.
British Navy Shadows Russian Submarine in English Channel as Four Russian Vessels Enter UK Waters
The British Royal Navy and Royal Air Force (RAF) followed multiple Russian ships and submarines through the English Channel this week at a time of heightened tension over British involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
HMS Iron Duke and HMS Tyne have tracked four Russian vessels through United Kingdom (UK) waters in recent days as RAF jets intercepted a Russian strategic bomber on Wednesday.
The Navy’s warships shadowed the Russian advances to ‘protect national security’ as four vessels sailed through the English Channel and the North Sea.
Two RAF Typhoons were also scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth on Wednesday, supported by a Voyager from RAF Brize Norton, to intercept Russian Bear-F aircraft.
The developments come at a point of heightened tension between Russia and Britain over Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine and Britain’s backing of Kiev – with former President Dmitry Medvedev threatening to ‘sink’ Britain in remarks he made earlier this week.
Medvedev Remarks
At a Press Conference earlier this week, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said there could be a “100-year partnership” to support Ukraine with by United Kingdom.
Hearing those remarks Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council (Their version of a Senate) said:
“1) He’s lying. 2) The so-called Ukraine will not last even a quarter of this period. 3) An island called Britain is likely to sink in the next few years. If necessary, our hypersonic missiles will help” Medvedev wrote on the social network X.
After Getting A Ring My Fiancée And Her “Coven” Thought They Could Deeply Disrespect Me, Instead…
Echoes
Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong.… view prompt
Carolyn Neal
This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse.
“What do they want?” She asked Marcus one night as they discussed the ship’s location for the next probe. Another specter had manifested beside them, a whispered image of Lt. Chen, seemingly scanning the charting hub just as they were, working calmly.
“I don’t think they want anything, actually,” Marcus said, waving his arm through the phantom. His weathered hand swept through to no effect and the vision continued its work silently. “They don’t appear to notice us at all. I tried talking to myself-”
“More than usual?”
“Ha, don’t act like you aren’t holding full conversations with yourself late nights on the bridge. No, my ghost, I tried communicating, getting its attention. Nothing. It just did everything I would do on a normal day.”
“So, they’re just us? Like an alternate reality or projections of our minds?”
“Memories.”
“Memories?”
“Of the past and future, pieces of us throughout our existence here.” His eyes went to the viewport, locked on the glowing edge of the accretion disc. The Lt. Chen figure pressed a hand to her chest and looked up a moment before blinking back to nothing.
“How?” Was all Ava could think to ask.
“Our probes, maybe.” He shrugged and shook his head, looking back down to the screen in front of them. “We’ve shouted into the void. It doesn’t answer. Perhaps it only echoes.”
The work continued despite everything, but the stress of events was starting to wear them all down. Meals were dominated by talk of the apparitions, theories on their appearance, and, eventually, superstition. It was unusual, coming from this group of all people, but Ava supposed it was where even the greatest of minds could go when it couldn’t reason out the reality around it.
“It’s a warning, we’re not supposed to be here,” One young scientist told a small group as they huddled around their instruments.
Ava was visiting with Marcus in the lab to determine his timeline for the project. They were luckily on the same page of “the sooner, the better” at this point.
“They have been talking like that since yesterday,” Marcus said in a low voice, “I even heard one mention something about god.”
“This is concerning. What if they start worshiping it like those Singularity weirdos?” Ava said.
Marcus shook his head, but the crease between his brows got deeper. “It won’t come to that. These aren’t scrappers and tunnel workers we’re talking about.”
“My family were scrappers, Marc. Most of my crew is from the colonies.”
“You know what I mean…”
Everyone went quiet again as several specters blinked into existence at each of the instruments, imposing themselves over and through all the solid bodies currently manning them. The doppelgangers worked in a panic, their hands flying over keys and buttons desperately, their eyes terrified and mouths open, yelling soundlessly.
“Shit, what are they on about?” Ava asked.
“Something’s malfunctioning…”
The visions dissolved as quickly as they arrived, leaving the shocked faces of their solid versions in their place, one with his hands clasped together and head bowed.
Ava shivered at the cold dread prickling up her spine.
Marcus placed a hand on her shoulder. “One more collection. Then we leave.”
“Agreed.”
The next day, Ava was on the bridge, leading the movements of the Argo as they collected all the probes and batteries to prepare for their departure. Each one took a considerable amount of time to dock and secure, with special consideration to the volatile nature of the capsules containing the energy collected. Ava took the opportunity to admire Navier-11 one last time.
There was a lot about this mission that Captain Ramirez did not understand. But Navier-11, she understood. She agonized over its effects on her ship for an entire year of prepping before this inevitable week of proximity to the blackhole.
To approach it was to approach a cosmic abyss—a realm where the laws of physics strained and distorted, and light itself bent to the will of unimaginable gravity. It was darkness—a voracious void swallowing light and warmth, only an eerie absence left in its wake.
The event horizon, that invisible boundary beyond which nothing can escape, was a sinister veil, shimmering with an ominous energy. Beyond it, the accretion disk, a swirling maelstrom of matter and energy spiraling inexorably toward its center. It glows with a hellish radiance, piercing even through the shielding filters, illuminated by the frictional forces tearing it apart.
And then the singularity—a point of infinite density and zero volume, where the laws of physics broke down. A cosmic crucible that saw matter and energy consumed without mercy, where the very fabric of space-time was warped and twisted beyond recognition.
Navier-11 was all of this on such a massive and incomprehensible scale. She was an inevitability, a reminder of their insignificance along the universal path toward entropy. A glimpse into an abyss that was all at once nothing and the heart of existence itself.
In a way, she knew she would miss this view, but staring at it from the Captain’s chair now, Ava could feel only unsettled.
“Uh, Captain, we have a problem,” Marcus’s voice buzzed over the intercom.
“What is it?”
A siren blared and the red warning lights flashed, indicating a fire.
Ava cursed and pulled up the layout on her console. “Status?”
“Something in the cargo bay,” Her security officer replied.
An apparition shimmered into existence, just beyond the instruments, staring out the viewport. It was Ava, her hands clasped behind her, her hair floating around her, loose from her usual bun, clothes tattered and burnt. Blood bubbled into the air from an arm wound.
“Glory to the Singularity!”
Before she could find who had shouted, another apparition swept through her quickly, like a shadow flowing through her vision. She whipped around to watch it as it ran a few more feet with a raised fist before slamming it down and disappearing. She stood just as another ran through again, repeating the action, but saw that it was Lt. Chen and she held something in her fist. Another came a beat later, and then another, falling into an accelerated succession.
She stepped away from her chair. Similar projections were crowded around the room, overlapping each other in a chaotic scene of palpable panic from hundreds of semi-transparent figures crowding the bridge. Lt. Chens came at her still, crowded over each other, rushing through her until they were nearly one until finally the real Lt. Chen was rushing at her, just on the tail of the last mirage. Raised in her fist was a pair of shears, her eyes shone with desperate fear.
Ava kicked off of her chair making distance as she floated backwards. Chen was atop her in a moment, however, and swung the makeshift blade directly for her chest. Ava grabbed a nearby console and pulled. The shears pierced into her upper arm as her body swung around. Chen slowed but kept floating until she made contact with the wall.
“Captain!” The security officer called, floating quickly towards her, but was promptly intercepted by a young engineer, who wrapped his limbs around him as they spun towards the large viewport. He held a sharp piece of metal to his neck.
“What mutiny is this?” Ava demanded, yelling over the insistent sirens.
“The Singularity,” Chen said, now facing her again, poised to push off in her direction. “We must join it. All must return to it. We must return everything.”
A paralyzing cold swept through Ava’s veins as the viewport went dark and she realized they were turning. Straight towards the heart of Navier-11. “You didn’t–”
Chen flew towards her again.
So much for peace. A switch flipped in her brain. The fight was fresh in her mind once more, the younger version of herself awakened for another war of survival.
Gritting her teeth, Ava pulled the sheers from her arm, blood trailing behind it. She turned it in her hand just as Chen grabbed her around the neck, her actions echoed by innumerable visions. Ava swung the blade around and drove it into her navigation officer’s carotid. She kicked the woman away, the shears tight in her grasp. Chen’s scream echoed and then curdled as blood floated through the air.
“Captain, the containers are unstable,” Marcus yelled through the intercom. “We have to release them!”
She pushed off the console back to her chair and watched as the entire cargo bay began flashing red on the screen. “Marcus, are you alright?”
“They are going crazy, I can’t even tell–”
He cut off. “Marc?”
“Ava,” He said after a beat, his voice now shaking. “I’m sorry, I… I owe you a beer.”
“What are you talking about, old man?”
He only laughed. The screen in front of her beeped, indicating an imminent emergency ejection of the cargo bay.
“Captain, we’re approaching the event horizon! T-minus three minutes, 13 seconds.”
Was that enough time to right? She couldn’t calculate it now. She pushed off towards the navigation console, slamming into it, but promptly overrode Chen’s locks and entered the new commands. The ship turned, its force and trajectory still taking them danger close to the edge of the horizon.
“No!” The Singularity engineer was coming for her, the security officer floating lifelessly behind him. His echoes dove straight to the console, slashing the makeshift blade violently. Ava pushed herself to the floor before using it to launch herself straight for him. She twisted the blade out of his hand as his body collided with the roof and then drove the scissors through his neck until she hit something solid.
“We’re still going to skim the horizon unless we can push off more!”
“The cargo release should do it!”
“How long?” Ava demanded, already pushing off in the direction of the cargo bay.
“Forty-six seconds!”
She flew out of the bridge, crashing into everything in her path before pushing on with all her might through several compartments, traveling through echo after echo.
When she made it to the cargo bay, it was indeed aflame, the hellish glow of the destruction mirroring that of the accretion disc. Several crewmembers were floating in front of it, hands raised in apparent worship.
“Captain,” Marcus called out to her near the cargo controls. He was bent over the console as if protecting it, though part of it had already sparked and caught fire as well. A large chunk of metal stuck from his back.
“Marc, we have to go,” She said as made it to him, testing the metal lodged into his flesh.
“I don’t think I can.”
“Bullshit.” She tore him away from the instruments to see the metal had pierced all the way through his chest. She cursed again but wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held him tight to her.
“Are we joining the Singularity?” The three members were now turned to her, looking almost identical to their shadows save for the framing of the flames behind them.
“Yes, just a few moments more.” She promised and shoved to the exit. The crewmembers cheered behind her.
“Soon we’ll be one again.”
A sickening gravity pulled them into the wall as she and Marcus reached the barrier point of the cargo bay. The engines of the ship rumbled audibly louder, fighting the pull of Navier-11.
As the seal to the bay zipped closed, the Singularity crew inside was crying with joy. A moment later, the compartment broke away and through the window of the hatch, they watched as it fell towards the event horizon and then exploded in a great billowing cloud of energy and light.
Silently, they made their way back through the ship as the pull disappeared. The echoes were sparse now, thinning to single occurrences per crew member left alive by the time they made it to the med bay.
Ava used the intercom from there to give a general announcement as Marcus was seen by the physician. “For any remaining who wish to join the Singularity, you are free to do so. Everything taken has been returned. You may leave through the airlock.”
Marcus was put under for a procedure and Ava sought to oversee the release of two additional living crew members out of the airlock. They thanked her, of all things, and shook her hand before following their echoes into the small space that preceded their demise. Ava personally placed Lt.Chen’s body beside the dead engineer inside.
She pressed the button from the bridge to jettison them away, bound for Singularity.
It was a melancholy relief, watching all that trouble fall away as she stood before the viewport. Navier-11 loomed beyond, ever powerful, ever inevitable.
“I don’t know whether or not you are God,” She spoke to her, “I do not know that I will live to see you unite or destroy all. I do know that before that time comes, we have to get on with it anyway, the best we can. Which means I’ll be back, after that old man buys my drink, and with better tools to take what my people need. As many times as is necessary to keep a fragile peace. As many times as it takes.”
“The void might echo for us, but humanity echoes too.”
Why can’t we see a lot of high-tech abroad compared to China? For example, robot food delivery and machine butler.
A. Low cost
China controls the entire supply chain for Personal Robots, Drones, Innovative Machines and manufactures them at low cost so that even a 40% profit renders them at least 60% cheaper than any equivalent in Europe or US
For instance a 15 Kilogram Capacity Delivery Drone retails for $ 2,900 in China but almost € 17,400 in Germany and $ 20,000 in USA
It costs the equivalent of $ 38,000 to supply ten personal robots in China whereas it costs almost $ 220,000 for the same in US
In India – a Planned Restaurant in Bangalore got a quote of ₹ 85 Lakh for 6 Robots which is around 700,000 RMB (In China it’s 300,000 RMB), so they dropped it
B. Government Programs
The Chinese Government and Local Government encourages public use of these technologies by offering subsidies
A Drone delivery service gets a 8,000 RMB subsidy per drone under the LOW ALTITUDE ECONOMY PLAN
You get 4 Year Loans for buying Drones or Robots for business where :-
- No Repayment for First 9 months
- No Interest for next 15 months
- 8.36% Interest for next 24 months
- Government buy back at 30% value after 3 years
This allows many businesses to buy thousands of drones for delivery
A Flower delivery guy uses 3–4 drones these days
C. Infrastructure
China has spare parts ready, skilled technicians, low altitude monitoring services and a variety of things needed to facilitate Drones and Robots
US or Germany need imports from China or Japan
It takes an average of 2 Hours to 2 days to get spare parts or servicing in China against 6 weeks minimum in US
So China has the manufacturing hub and the Government schemes to ensure all technology immediately reaches the public and automatically simulates innovation
Unfortunately many other nations don’t do this
Japan does
Singapore does
South Korea does
So you will see a load of technology in these nations too
In other nations – it’s always capitalism
Drones cost $ 20K each and are meant for the richer, deeper pockets
Personalized Robots cost $ 20,000 – $35,000 each and are meant again for people who can afford this price tag IE:- Individuals
So you see Robots and Drones mainly in :-
- Expensive Private Homes
- Landed Estates
- Businesses with exclusive Clientele
- Large Businesses with huge capital which can afford 30–40 Drones minimum for delivery
You don’t see them in Public Places
For those who were actually old enough to have experienced the 1970s and not for those who were born in the 70s. What were the pros and cons of that era?
Here’s how I remember it (grad. HS 1975). College cost less than $3,000/year.
We NEVER locked our doors.
If your girlfriend got pregnant, you married her. And most of those marriages are still buzzing right along.
Guys got in fistfights regularly, but were soon friends afterwards (girls … different story there). We all carried pocket knives and it never occurred to us to use it on someone else.
Most of us were EXPECTED to get some kind of job at 16.
Dad ran the family. And that was somehow never a problem.
If we were bullied at school, we were expected to deal with it. We might get a lesson on how to throw a punch.
A new carpet or new countertops or even a new stereo was a big deal.
If you forgot to remove you hat in the house, more than likely your Dad would knock it off your head.
Make fun of someone’s appearance? It would be like the wrath of God coming down on you.
The entire extended family—cousins, aunts, uncles, in-laws, out-laws, got together all the time. We played euchre, croquet or badminton, drank iced tea and had homemade fried chicken and pecan pie.
A package delivery was cause for excitement.
If you failed to open the door for a lady, or Lord help you an elderly lady, or did show respect to an older person, there WOULD be consequences.
Birthdays meant a cake, a family celebration, birthday cards with $2 included and maybe a present.
Vacation was a camping trip to the lake or to a relative in Dayton. Plane trip somewhere? Are you kidding?
There were no cell phones, computers, ipads, anything like that. We met eyes and talked to each other.
Mom generally cooked every meal. Restaurants? Maybe twice a year, if that.
At 18 you had a couple of choices—get a full time job, go to college or join the service. But for boys at least, it was time to get out on your own. Period. Girls got a little bit more grace on that one.
We were tanned, fit and happy for the most part. We made do with what we had.
What is the saddest truth about smart people?
David Foster Wallace was smart. Really Smart.
He attended Harvard for a short time, and his verbal abilities were exceptional. It was clear from his writing that he was gifted – he wrote with such honesty and emotion that it was evident he had extensive thoughts, about a lot of things.
Including depression.
On depression, he wrote:
The so-called ‘psychotically depressed’ person who tries to kill herself doesn’t do so out of quote ‘hopelessness’ or any abstract conviction that life’s assets and debits do not square. And surely not because death seems suddenly appealing. The person in whom Its invisible agony reaches a certain unendurable level will kill herself the same way a trapped person will eventually jump from the window of a burning high-rise. Make no mistake about people who leap from burning windows. Their terror of falling from a great height is still just as great as it would be for you or me standing speculatively at the same window just checking out the view; i.e. the fear of falling remains a constant. The variable here is the other terror, the fire’s flames: when the flames get close enough, falling to death becomes the slightly less terrible of two terrors. It’s not desiring the fall; it’s terror of the flames. And yet nobody down on the sidewalk, looking up and yelling ‘Don’t!’ and ‘Hang on!’, can understand the jump. Not really. You’d have to have personally been trapped and felt flames to really understand a terror way beyond falling.
David experienced depression first hand, and eventually it led to him taking his own life, about a decade after he released his highly regarded novel, Infinite Jest. The novel is considered by many to be a masterpiece, and without question, David Foster Wallace has left an immense legacy behind.
Now, David Foster Wallace isn’t the only gifted person to experience mental illness; in fact, it is thought that those with high IQs have an increased risk for developing a mental disorder such as depression (Major Depressive Disorder) or Bipolar disorder. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289616303324)
It is a sad reality that, if you’re intelligent, there’s an increased risk you’ll be misunderstood by a lot of people. You might feel lonely. You might feel frustrated that others just don’t understand you. You might feel alienated.
On some level, I believe, David felt that way. He felt lonely and unhappy. And loneliness, for most, is a difficult thing to deal with.
If you’re smart, you might end up lonely. Really lonely. And that’s a sad truth many smart people face, sometimes through no fault of their own.
Have you ever encountered a fellow passenger who displayed disruptive or inappropriate behavior during a flight? How did you handle the situation?
Not me. but an acquaintance of mine.
He was a commercial pilot, married., with children, but a young pilot (Keep the age in mind. He made the Guinness Book of …Records).
Smoking was still permitted on flights but not at take off.
A very intoxicated passenger was chain smoking. The stewardess had asked him to put out his cigarette. The plane would not be lifting off until and unless he stopped smoking. The man waved her off, “bring me a drink, I’m a grown man, cookie…”…She insisted that he comply, he lit up again.
The other passengers were getting angry. The idiot had already caused a significant delay. This continued on, until my friend ,the Youngest Pilot.ever , was called upon. So Jack put on his jacket and cap and in complete uniform and as an Authority The Boss of the Airplane, approached the imbecile in row 23. *.
Jack is very calm and has a humble manner.
Humble Jack: “Sir, it is the law that all smoking materials must be extinguished prior to takeoff. We will let you know by a signal on this display when it is safe to light up again.”
Drunk chimney: “Go away sonny boy. “ Puff. Exhale, puff puff.
Humble Jack: (thinking to himself : I am a married man with children. A licensed pilot ‘Sonnt boy?’).
H.Jack, (tries again) “ Sir. I myself smoke, but there are times I cannot This flight will not leave the tarmac unless you put out your cigarette.”
This goes on for several more minutes. Drunk Chimney becoming more belligerent and abusive .
D.C.: “You look like you just got out of knee pants”.
Finally , Humble Jack gave up, his patience exhausted. He left row 23 , removed his Captain’s hat, wiped the sweat off his brow. Then he ‘dropped a dime”**. Soon after this, the hatch opened, and uniforms of a different cut marched onto the scene.
Drunk Chimney was dragged off the plane in bracelets, kicking and swearing, accompanied by applause from the other passengers.
Sonny Boy won.
- * I used poetic license, no clue what row it was
- **. Drop a dime-60’s & 70’s slang for making a phone call to authorities. Tattling…
Avocado Chicken Casserole
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup broad flat green noodles
- 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 dashes Tabasco sauce
- 2 1/4 cups Half-and-Half
- 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
- 6 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 1/2 cup roasted, peeled and coarsely chopped fresh chile
Instructions
- Prepare noodles according to package directions; drain, and set aside.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Drizzle avocado slices with lime juice and set aside.
- Melt butter in a 2 quart saucepan over low heat.
- Stir in flour, salt and Tabasco sauce over low heat until mixture bubbles.
- Add Half-and-Half slowly, stirring constantly until mixture thickens.
- Add cheese and stir until it has melted. Reserve 1 cup of this sauce.
- Mix remainder of sauce with cooked noodles.
- Place chicken in bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish.
- Cover with chopped green chiles.
- Spoon noodle mixture over chicken and chiles.
- Place avocado slices on top and pour reserved sauce over avocados.
- Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes.
Today’s MM AI generations
Just some of the better results. I’ve been doing some experimentation. Hands and arms are still problematic.
This is confusing…
But, now what is he proposing that she do?
His intent is clear. But then what?
Pure affection.
Deep in thought.
Make and prepare the coffee.
Different style.
Celebration of the coffee.
What are you saying…?
A man among men.
Let me explain it to you.
Such a decision…
No. I do not like that.
UPDATED 2:23 PM EDT — Russia Formally Notifies United Nations: If US/UK Approve Western Weapons Strikes Deep into Russia – a “State of War” will exist
Russian leadership has issued a follow-up statement to President Vladimir Putin’s Thursday brief video address warning that if the US and UK authorize Ukraine to pursue long-range strikes on Russian soil, then NATO and the Russian Federation will be in an official state of war.
On Friday Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, informed the UN Security council that NATO countries would “start an open war” in allowing Western long-range missiles to target Russia.
“If such a decision is made, that means NATO countries are starting an open war against Russia,” Moscow’s envoy introduced. “In that case, we will obviously be forced to make certain decisions, with all the attendant consequences for Western aggressors.”
UPDATE 2:23 PM EDT —
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun publicly announced today that “China will militarily support Russia if NATO attacks Russia.”
Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin made clear in a TV interview that if the US and NATO allow Ukraine to begin using western-supplied long-range missiles, to hit interior Russia, that that would be direct involvement by the United States, European Countries, and NATO, in war with Russia. He went on to point out that modern, precision weapons from the collective West, require satellites to hit targets, and Ukraine does not have any satellites.
As such, Ukraine would have to be able to use US, EU/NATO Satellites, and that is direct involvement in the conflict, by NATO.
More importantly, modern, precision weapons of the collective West, cannot be programmed by Ukrainian troops; they don’t know how. Because of the complexity, such target programming would have to be done by actual NATO troops, which is, again, direct involvement by NATO in the conflict.
Putin finished by saying If NATO enters the conflict, that changes the entire essence of the conflict, and Russia would have to make decisions about that based on the new threats posed to it.
TODAY
Earlier today, Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations formally notified the UN Security Council that if US and UK leaders allow Ukraine to hit Russia with long-range weapons, then “a state of war” will exist between NATO and the Russian Federation. (Story Here)
Russian Diplomat Families HAVE LEFT the United States
The family of Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov, has reportedly left the United States and returned to Russia.
The families of other senior Diplomats from Russia’s Embassy in Washington, and its Consulate in New York, also reportedly departed the U.S. earlier this week.
According to sources familiar with Russian Diplomatic operations here in the US, the remaining senior Diplomats from Russia are now operating with “skeleton staffing levels” at both the Embassy and the Consulates.