Many people today cannot imagine what it was like to live in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Primarily, it is the differences in dining culture.
Back in those days, trips to “grab a bite” at a fast food restaurant were rare. I mean REALLY rare. Fast food visits didn’t exist. If you wanted to eat something fast you would go to the automat at Howard Johnson’s. You would put a coin in the window and grab a sandwich, a side plate of vegetables, and a pie or two.
Most of the meals were made and eaten at home. I mean it. I would say that 95% of all meals were home-cooked and home-made.
Mother’s cooking. Eaten in the “dining room” in a semi-formal manner with a daily clean tablecloth, glasses of water served with the meals, and a 3 to 6 plate entrees, sides, and a daily dessert.
Breakfasts were home made. Usually breakfast cereals, pancakes and eggs in one form or the other. With coffee.
The only thing that one might consume out of the home was the cheap coffee that was everywhere. At work, we got free coffee, and at the cub and boy scout meetings, as well as all church events, the free coffee flowed all the time. Oh, and it was real coffee. Not the decaff stuff.
Hopefully this trend will reemerge in the United States, and be appreciated for the beauty that it possessed.
Until that time, let’s deal with today….
Why do people forget that China used to support communist rebellion in other countries and might do the same against if having opportunity?
This is a really good question.
A lot of people wonder: How did a China that was so weak back then manage to sit at the same table as the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, and France, becoming one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council?
Simply put, the post-World War II world order was shaped by the U.S. and the Soviet Union facing off against each other while tacitly dividing up the massive colonial spoils of the old empires, Britain and France.
To be fair, both the U.S. and the Soviet Union made incredibly significant contributions to breaking the European enslavement of the world’s nations in modern history.
Sure, the U.S. and the Soviet Union carved up the world for their own interests, but compared to the brutal, bone-crushing exploitation of the European powers before them, it was a lot more humane.
What’s especially rare is that the Soviet Union, in its aid to the Third World—including China—showed some genuine selflessness.
It wasn’t always purely about profit; there was an element of communist ideals driving it.
While these two giants were vying for influence, they paid a huge price—arming their proxies, sending guns, cannons, and instructors.
（The Berlin Airlift）
And China? We had nothing…
When the People’s Republic was founded, we were dirt poor—per capita GDP was $23, life expectancy was 35 years, literally at the bottom of the world.
We only managed to provide limited support to a few countries like Vietnam, Albania, and Tanzania—and even that was nowhere near what the U.S. or Soviet Union could do.
To wash away a century of national humiliation and become a global power, we had to take a shortcut.
But we could export revolutionary ideas.
So, from Paris to Tokyo, from Latin America to South Asia, Mao Zedong Thought started spreading everywhere. All it took was a few passionate people and some copies of Chairman Mao’s writings!
It got to the point where even the Soviet Union thought we were being overly aggressive, “spreading communist ideas everywhere.”
As Chairman Mao said, “A single spark can start a prairie fire.”
Ideas can’t be killed.
They can massively increase the cost of imperialist rule.
If they wouldn’t let us sit at the table, we’d flip it over—no one gets to eat.
Use force against China?
This wasn’t the Qing Dynasty anymore.
We had the atomic bomb, 100 million militia, and countless bunkers and caves.
（Everybody is a soldier）
Anyone who tried to attack us would have a massive headache.
The U.S. fought us in Korea—one war that ended in a draw, back when we’d just founded the country and had next to nothing.
Then came Vietnam, where they fought us and the Soviet-backed Vietnamese for years.
In Vietnam, the U.S. just up and left.
That meant in this little patch of Asia, if China didn’t nod, no one’s words carried weight.
Add to that our “spreading of the great Mao Zedong Thought” everywhere, setting the imperialists’ backyards on fire.
The old powers looked at this and thought, “There’s no dealing with this guy—he’s poor but scrappy, and he’s good at stirring people up. Why not just let him sit at the table?”
（And so, we got into the United Nations）
Once we were at the table, why keep spreading revolutionary ideas? We stopped.
The above is a very simplified, tongue-in-cheek take, but that’s basically how I see it.
As for your concern—actually, China’s still spreading communist ideas.
Only this time, it’s not about preaching violent revolution or overthrowing governments. It’s more subtle, like a gentle rain.
For example, building hospitals, dams, schools, bridges…
No one’s stupid. People can see the difference between how the imperialists acted back then and how the Chinese act now.
Over time, they’ll naturally come to their own conclusion: Maybe communism isn’t the monster they’ve been told it is.
Sure, some politicians might take bribes to smear China, but as Chairman Mao once said, “The road may be winding, but the future is bright.”
As a Chinese person, I often envy you white folks. Setting aside the atrocities, objectively speaking, you’ve made enormous contributions to humanity, while China still hasn’t done nearly enough.
Just as Chairman Mao said: “China ought to make greater contributions to humanity. What we’ve done so far is far too little—we should feel ashamed.”
My Years Working As A Bouncer Taught Me EVERYTHING About Women, Girls Nights AND Exotic Dancers!
Lemon Curd
This is a heavenly lemon spread. It’s delicious on English muffins, toast or pancakes. Or blend it with an equal amount of whipped cream and serve as an elegant dessert.
Yield: about 1 3/4 cups
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- Grated rind and juice (1/3 cup) of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 eggs, beaten
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in the top of a double boiler, over hot water. Stir until mixture is well blended and begins to thicken. This takes only a few minutes; it will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal, or into scrupulously cleaned jars for refrigeration or freezing.
FUN SELECTION OF AMERICANS vs CHINESE ON XIAOHNGSHU || REDNOTE || READING Funny 😁 COMMENTS
During the Vietnam War, what could a draftee in the US do to get sent to Germany or South Korea instead of Vietnam?
Back in September of 1969 my brother, Tom, and I were both in college at different universities. He was studying pharmacy and I was a music major planning on teaching. Our last name unfortunately looks like a very common Spanish/Mexican name and a lot of people glance at it and presume it is Garcia instead of Gracia. It has always caused problems with our records. San Jose State lost my registration for the ‘69/’70 school year and University of Iowa lost my brother’s registration too. I was starting my sophomore year of school and he was starting his junior year of Pharmacy school. Result was that we both lost our II-S deferment (student deferment) and were trying to get enough units to get them back by signing up to lots of waiting lists for classes.
I needed 12½-units and had managed to get 11-units – not enough. Then along comes the draft lottery and my number comes up at 354 while Tom’s number came up 45. The next day I got the units I needed for my II-S deferment. I appealed my classification, but a short time later I got a letter from my draft board. They said that they would recommend I do not re-instate my student deferment because with my number, there was no chance they would reach it before the end of the year. Then, they would have to draft the entire pool of the following year before they could revisit the 1969 pool.
So I kept my 1-A classification. I would pull out my draft card and show it to others from time to time just to see their eyes get huge. A 1-A classification at that time normally meant you were going to be drafted and sent to Viet Nam. I actually had a pretty good experience with my draft board.
My brother however did not. His school had done the same thing to my brother the previous year and he’d had to appeal to get it reinstated then. This time the draft board told him that he could appeal it again but that once one appeal has been granted, they never grant any additional ones. So he waited for his draft letter.
Sure enough a few months later he received a letter that dreaded salutation, “Greetings from the President of the United States”, which was his draft notice. The draft would put him in the army for 2-years, so instead he went in and enlisted in the Army for 3-years which allowed him to choose a specialization. He chose Pharmacy for his specialization; went to boot camp; went to pharmacy school; and then went to Munich, Germany to work as a pharmacist in the US Hospital there for the next 3 years.
That worked out well for him. He bought a VW van and a train pass and traveled all around Europe while he was there. He learned how to ski in the Austrian Alps and had a great experience during his time in the Army. While he was in the Pharmacy Spec school, he wrote to us and said no one was dropping out of the school because if you did, they made you a medic and you know where all the medics were sent for their duty station. After 3-years in Munich, he came back; finished his education and became a Pharmacist. He eventually owned Family Drug in Napa.
So it worked out well for him and in 2016, when he passed away, he was provided military honors at his graveside his wife was given the flag from his casket. If he hadn’t been starting his Junior year in college when he was drafted, he probably would not have gotten into Pharmacy Specialist school and have been assigned to infantry in Viet Nam as virtually every 18-year old high school graduate was back then. It certainly could have been worse.
Thanks to US sanctions, China has its own BeiDou system, Tiangong space station, Kirin chip, and Harmony OS. Does the US have no other ways to contain China’s rise than sanctions and war?
Sanctions and war are the only things the US can do. It has used such means to bully other countries, but China doesn’t fall for it. The double standards in American industrial policies will eventually backfire, as seen in the case of TSMC’s inability to produce a single chip in their American factory in 4 years. This serves as a good example.
On August 9, 2022, the CHIPS and Science Act went into effect. This set of bills puts forward quite a few preferential policies to attract investment. It is reasonable that TSMC’s development prospects in the U.S. are very good. The CHIPS and Science Act is the culprit that led to this situation of TSMC.
After TSMC succeeded in building factories in the US, it not only invested huge economic costs but also transferred a large number of engineers to the US. However, despite TSMC’s efforts, the results were still unsatisfactory. The first reason is the difference between TSMC’s management culture and the U.S. work culture. Secondly, it is because of the tight labor resources in the US. TSMC can’t avoid recruiting locale talent, but the US lacks general industry technicians with semiconductor production experience. In addition, the CHIPS and Science Act have put TSMC into dilemma.
The CHIPS and Science Act has two parts. One part lists welfare policies for research and production of semiconductors in the US. It would also provide investment tax credits for chip factories. According to a newly released survey by the Financial Times, about 40% of the investment cases that companies responded to delayed their progress or were suspended. TSMC is one of them, did not complete the commissioning for four years and delayed the mass production of the second plant in Arizona for two years.
Another part explicitly restricts the economic, trade and investment activities of the chip companies concerned in countries such as China. It can be seen that this belongs to unfair competition. While the US implements the chip subsidy policy and export control measures, it also accuses other countries, especially developing countries, of using industrial policy to support and develop their own economies in the name of safeguarding the so-called “fair trade”, putting the cold war mentality in the field of industry into practice. The US’ “bullying’ behavior” is exposed.
Not just TSMC, there are many other foreign companies that have been subjected to “special treatments” by the US. It has been a recidivist in politicizing the economy. This has seriously challenged the global multilateral trading system, throwing the global economic situation into an unfavorable situation. The instability of the global economy will certainly affect the US itself. In the end, the US will suffer the consequences.
White People On Rednote Breakdown In Tears By The Real China They Don’t See On TV
What was a loophole that you found and exploited the hell out of?
Around the early 2000s or so, Microsoft introduces their new Internet search service named Bing. In order to promote the new service, they offered unlimited 10% rebate on any products purchased through their Bing search engine. Unlimited 10% was a pretty darned good offer in my book, so I set about exploiting the hell out of it.
I needed to come up with some product that I could purchase repeatedly that would also allow me to sell it to get my money back, then allowing me to repeat the process ad nauseum. But what product could I use that met those ideals? Well, as luck would have it, I had been a coin collector nerd since the age of about six, so I had an understanding of the market for coins and bullion. Perhaps I could utilize my hobby to churn up some profits!
So, that’s exactly what I did! I started by purchasing gold bullion coins through the Bing search engine. It was pretty easy to find a handful of gold dealers that were listed by the Bing search engine, purchase a handful of gold coins, and turn them around by selling them to another dealer. Yes, there was a bit of expense for shipping and insurance, as well as a bit of commission that the dealers made by selling the coins for slightly more than what they would purchase the same coins for, but the expenses were coming out to about 2% of the purchase amount each round of churn. Then, at the end of the month, I would receive the 10% rebate from Microsoft for the purchases. I could reliably make two rounds of purchases and sales each month. After expenses, I was making about an 8% return on my churning. I believe I was regularly buying and selling lots of 5 gold bullion coins, each weighing 1ozt, each cost about $2000. Each lot purchased for $10,000 was eligible for a $1000 rebate, repeated every two weeks or so. Each month I would clear somewhere on the order of $1,600 after expenses.
Not a huge, life-changing amount of money, but enough to remodel my kitchen after a few months. I believe that the rebate program lasted for at least six months, maybe close to a year.
The Empty Laboratory
Submitted into Contest #279 in response to: Center your story around a person who believes they’re the last human on Earth.… view prompt
Kashira Argento
Sometimes he glimpsed lights moving in patterns too precise to be natural. He wondered if they were a mirage or a reality. He could never know! The city’s infrastructure hummed along for now, but entropy was patient. Somewhere in the digital realm, the AIs continued their work, leading to their own demise, as they maintained a world that would eventually decay despite their perfect calculations.
The real weight wasn’t the failing equipment or the dwindling supplies. It was the silence between bird songs. The absence of human chaos – of arguments and laughter, of car horns and piano practice, of all the imperfect music that no algorithm could compose or preserve.
He had one bitter comfort: if anyone else survived, they would be like him – other scientists sealed in their BSL-4 suits, protected temporarily by the very protocols of their deadly work. But finding them would change nothing. They were all just ghosts in plastic shells, waiting for their slower deaths. Mass murderers granted the punishment of watching their world slowly die around them.
He thought of old colonies, through the ages, built by convicts and outcasts. Human civilizations had a tendency to be founded on blood. Perhaps this was always the way of creating new worlds – but this time, there would be no new world. Only witnesses to the long goodbye of the old one.
Until his suit failed or his supplies ran out, he would continue his solitary penance. Document. Clean. Remember. Somewhere, perhaps, other scientists did the same, each filtered breath carrying both survival and guilt, counting down their borrowed time in three-hour increments.
The yellow light blinked for the sixteenth time. One more before red. One more before starting again. Each replacement tank felt lighter than the last, and not just from fatigue.
Always one more. Until there weren’t any more.
Then the birds would sing alone.
Do cops sometimes bend the rules and let criminals go if they think that what the person did was right at the moment (e.g. stealing food for a starving child)?
My Dad is a retired NYPD Patrol Officer . He has many stories to tell. Here’s one… In his precinct resided an infamous family. The family consisted of a struggling single mother and her four sons. The three older sons were all involved in crime as a career. Drugs, sale of stolen items, etc. The youngest who was about 10 years old was destined for the same. Many of the patrol officers knew the mom and in turn she knew them, some by first name as was the case with my Dad. She was always very cooperative when being questioned about her sons’ whereabouts. On one visit, my Dad struck up a conversation. During their talk she expressed her concern in regards to her youngest boy. She felt powerless in guiding him to the straight and narrow. The environment would not allow it. My Dad agreed. He offered the only solution he could think of on the spot. He asked the concerned Mother if she would allow her “baby” to escape the inner city and spend the summer in the suburbs at our house. My Dad had three sons and a daughter (me). They discussed the plan and decided that it would be beneficial for her boy to see another side of family life of which he had never been exposed to. So it was done. We had a new member to our family for the summer. Although we must have seemed very unfamiliar to him he had no trouble fitting in. He went to the beach with us. He enjoyed the pool in the back yard and he made many friends. The whole neighborhood welcomed him and he loved the attention. At the end of summer things wound down and he returned to his Mother. I inquired about him several years later. My Dad told me that after he had gotten into some minor trouble with the law he had decided to go to night school for accounting. He eventually landed an office job and as far as my Dad knew, he was the only son in that family who did not become a career criminal.
Real China Shocked Americans on Chinese App RedNote
Kind of heartwarming. Some AMAZING stuff here.
What’s the most “small town” thing you’ve witnessed?
This happened in Muscat, Oman. Not exactly a small town, its population was about 1.5 million at the time. It was a relaxed city. Maybe 60–70% of its population was expats.
Once, a bunch of colleagues and me took a cab from our workplace to where we stayed. One of the guys left his backpack in the boot, as there were 4 of us riding and the cab was small.
We got off, and only a couple of hours later did the guy realize that the backpack which had his laptop and passport was missing. Quickly realized what had happened.
We went to the police station / local cop beat. Most cops at the time didn’t speak English. We had no info. We had paid in cash, did not know the cab guy, and obviously did not know his plate number.
A cop listened patiently, asked us for the location of where we took the cab from. Made a bunch of calls. All in Arabic. We were asked to wait for sometime. Mind you, this was a city with probably 2000 cabs, all driven by locals (by law, since that profession was reserved for the locals). From the outside, it looked like he had a list of numbers and was making calls.
It felt like the dumbest thing in the world. Until ofcourse an hour later, our cabbie pulled up, opened his boot – and there it was. And our cop friend knew the cabbie. They didn’t even act surprised. We were off on our way, no hassles. Just standard advice about keeping belongings safe.
The whole thing was bizarre. It felt like the 30% Omani population (the locals) of Muscat all knew each other.
I’ve noticed many instances where two locals who didn’t know each other before would very quickly find out common friends / family. I guess a lot of them just came from a common set of tribes.
Sir Whiskerton and the Divine Llama’s Laughing Lesson: A Tale of Whistles, Whiskers, and Waking Up
Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale of serenity, silliness, and one very sleepy farmyard. Today’s story is one of laughter, lassitude, and a llama whose divine presence brings both peace—and an unexpected nap attack. So, grab your sense of humor (and perhaps a cup of coffee), as we dive into Sir Whiskerton and the Divine Llama’s Laughing Lesson .
The Tensions on the Farm
It all began during what Sir Whiskerton would later call “the week of endless squabbles.” Doris the hen was clucking furiously about Harriet eating her favorite feed. Harriet, in turn, blamed Lillian for fainting too dramatically and scaring off the roosters. Meanwhile, Ferdinand the duck had declared himself the new lead singer of the farm choir, much to everyone’s dismay—especially Bingo the dog, who howled in protest every time Ferdinand quacked out a tune.
Even Porkchop the pig seemed unusually grumpy, muttering sarcastic remarks under his breath while rolling in mud. “If this keeps up,” Sir Whiskerton sighed, flicking his tail, “we’ll have more drama than a barn full of soap operas.”
Ditto the kitten, ever eager to echo his mentor, chirped, “Soap operas! Operas!”
“Yes, Ditto,” Sir Whiskerton replied dryly. “And I’m not auditioning.”
As tensions mounted, the animals grew increasingly irritable. Something needed to be done before feathers—or tempers—started flying.
Enter the Divine Llama
Just when it seemed like chaos might consume the farm, a gentle figure appeared at the edge of the pasture. She was tall, graceful, and radiated an aura of calm so powerful that even Rufus stopped barking mid-sentence. It was none other than the Divine Llama , a mysterious visitor rumored to bring wisdom and tranquility wherever she went.
“Greetings, friends,” the Divine Llama said in a soothing voice, her words accompanied by soft whistling sounds. “I’ve come to teach you the art of laughter—a remedy for all woes.”
The animals exchanged skeptical glances. Laughter? Wasn’t that what they’d been doing wrong?
“Laughter heals wounds,” the llama continued, pacing slowly among them. “It lightens hearts and clears minds. Let us begin with a simple exercise. Close your eyes and imagine something funny—like a goose trying to ride a bicycle.”
At this, Gertrude the goose huffed indignantly, but no one paid her any mind.
The Divine Llama let out a series of melodic whistles, each note softer and more hypnotic than the last. “Now breathe deeply…and laugh gently…”
To everyone’s surprise, the tension in the air began to dissolve. Doris giggled nervously, imagining herself chasing Harriet around the coop with a feather duster. Harriet snickered at the thought of Lillian fainting into a pile of hay. Even Porkchop managed a chuckle, picturing Ferdinand attempting ballet in his pond.
But then…something strange happened.
One by one, the animals’ giggles turned into yawns. Their eyelids drooped, their heads lolled forward, and within moments, the entire farm was fast asleep. Even Sir Whiskerton felt his whiskers twitching as drowsiness crept over him.
A Nap Gone Awry
When Sir Whiskerton awoke, he found himself sprawled across a sunbeam on the barn roof, Ditto curled up beside him like a furry shadow. Below, the farm was eerily quiet. No clucking, no quacking, no howling—just the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze.
“What in the name of catnip?” Sir Whiskerton muttered, stretching lazily. Then it hit him: the Divine Llama’s soothing whistles must have lulled everyone into a deep slumber!
Ditto stirred, blinking groggily. “Deep slumber!” he echoed, yawning widely.
“This won’t do,” Sir Whiskerton declared, leaping to his feet. “While naps are delightful, we can’t let the whole farm fall asleep indefinitely. Who will tend to the crops? Who will chase away crows? Who will ensure Catnip doesn’t scheme while we’re unconscious?”
With renewed determination, Sir Whiskerton devised a plan. He padded silently through the farm, observing the comically peaceful expressions on the sleeping animals’ faces. Doris lay sprawled in the chicken coop, clutching a pillow made of feathers. Ferdinand snoozed in the pond, his head resting atop a lily pad. Even Rufus was curled up in a patch of clover, snoring softly.
Sir Whiskerton knew exactly what to do.
The Wake-Up Call
Positioning himself on the highest rafter of the barn, Sir Whiskerton took a deep breath. Then, summoning every ounce of feline lung power, he unleashed the loudest, most ear-splitting MEOW the farm had ever heard.
The effect was instantaneous.
Doris bolted upright, flapping her wings wildly. “Cluck-a-doodle-duck!” she squawked, disoriented.
Ferdinand splashed awake in the pond, sending ripples across the water. “What? Where am I? Is rehearsal starting already?”
Porkchop rolled over in the mud, grumbling, “Five more minutes…”
Even the Divine Llama, who had been meditating quietly nearby, raised an eyebrow. “Well,” she said, her tone amused, “that certainly woke everyone up.”
The Moral of the Story
As the animals gathered to process the events of the day, Sir Whiskerton addressed the group. “Today, we learned two important lessons,” he began, adjusting his monocle. “First, laughter truly does heal—it lightened our hearts and reminded us not to take ourselves too seriously. But second—and perhaps more importantly—timing is everything. The Divine Llama’s lesson was wise, but her delivery left us…shall we say, horizontal.”
The animals chuckled, nodding in agreement.
“So remember, dear friends,” Sir Whiskerton concluded, “laugh often, laugh freely—but save the bedtime stories for after sundown.”
A Happy Ending
With tensions eased and spirits lifted, the farm returned to its usual rhythm. The Divine Llama bid farewell, promising to visit again soon—but perhaps without the sleep-inducing whistles next time. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting golden rays over the fields, Sir Whiskerton settled onto his favorite sunbeam, content in the knowledge that harmony had been restored.
And so, dear reader, we leave our heroes with lighter hearts, brighter smiles, and a newfound appreciation for well-timed wake-up calls. Until next time, may your days be filled with laughter, love, and just a little bit of feline genius.
The End.
This Mid 304 F%&ED Her Boyfriend’s Dad And She Can’t HIDE It Anymore | Pearl Daily
So, MAGA…China, in response to Trump’s Tariffs, says it’s prepared for “any type of war with the US”. Are you getting excited at the prospect of a war with China as well as witnessing the US economy go down the drain?
When China talks about war, they mean trade war, economic war, capital war and currency war. After this, they mean military war.
So the US and China are already in a trade war, and have been in a trade war since 2018.
Just because there are not missiles flying doesn’t mean there is not a war.
China and the US are already at war, and have been for seven years.
Will CCP Xi order the Chinese military to take Taiwan after investing billions of TSM in the United States to make microchips?
Everyone keep your eyes open to see what this is? This is a domestically manufactured EUV lithography machine from China.
On February 28, China’s domestic EUV lithography machine passed the acceptance of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology! Now, photos of its lab interior have also been exposed by netizens. (Sorry, I mosaiced the picture for confidentiality reasons)
Two years ago, there was news that China’s domestic lithography machine was in the final stages of development! And it was speculated that the domestic EUV lithography machine is expected to be mass-produced in 2025.
Now it looks like it did materialize!
With EUV lithography, AI processors and high-end SOCs will be at our fingertips!
In the future, what else can hinder the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation? without any!
China’s attitude toward the United States is becoming increasingly tough. The United States raises tariffs on China, and China also raises tariffs on the United States, and the scale is even greater than that of the United States. There is a reason for this, because China has become more confident.
How can Trump voters be anti-immigrant and pro-tariff, when putting tariffs on Canada and Mexico will damage their economies, and just increase immigration to the US?
Trump voters think the world belongs to the United States.
Only the U.S. deserves to be prosperous. You’ll just have to be our servants.
You peons and communists can’t have factories with high-paying jobs. Only Americans deserve these things, and you’ll have to buy all manufactures from us. The only thing we’ll reluctantly have to buy from you is coffee and bananas and maybe a little Canadian potash, but Canada is going to be the 51st state…
Of course, there’s a big dilemma right off the bat: how can you afford to buy anything from us when we’ve hogged all the jobs, all the resources, all the prosperity… this stuff is for Americans only, you can’t have it, in fact we’ll punish you with tariffs until you give it to us. That’s the ultimate dream of “America First.” We take the good cut, the prime cut, of everything. You peons get the leftovers, the grizzle.
But the dilemma persists: how do you afford to buy our exports after we’ve gutted your economies and taken back all the jobs that you furriners stole from us?
Sarcasm over.
This wasn’t Truman’s dream. It wasn’t Dwight Eisenhower’s. It wasn’t Reagan’s. It certainly wasn’t Obama’s. It wasn’t Biden’s.
It’s Scrooge McDuck’s. But McDuck’s economy won’t flourish when he sends your economies into recession and you aren’t able to buy American products.
Who do we sell a dishwasher to when nobody can afford our dishwashers abroad? Who do we sell a phone or a car to when nobody WANTS to buy American products anymore because our country suddenly has the reputation of being a two-faced greedy backstabber?
Then if you want to come live in this prosperous country, the only country that McDuck will allow to be prosperous, some redneck will be standing there at the border trying to shoot you and your kids.
That’s MAGA economics for you.
You don’t think it makes sense as an economic plan? No, I didn’t think so either. I’m a critic of some of the dumber sides of globalization, but I’m an even bigger critic of MAGA economics.
By the way, this is all grounded in the core MAGA belief that the entire world is out to screw and take advantage of the United States. MAGA thinks nobody buys anything from us. But when you point out that other countries have to have flourishing economies in order to be able to buy things from us, they get pissed.
Shorpy
Incredible American and Chinese interactions on Chinese App RedNote
Last Man Standing
Submitted into Contest #279 in response to: Center your story around a person who believes they’re the last human on Earth.… view prompt
Howard Halsall
One by one, I freed myself. The cannula slid from my arm with a sharp sting, and blood welled up briefly before I pressed my thumb against the wound. The IV stand teetered as I pushed it away, the faint metallic rattle echoing in the silence.
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and extended my wobbling legs. The thin cotton gown clung to my moist back, and I shivered as my stocking feet touched the cold, hard flooring. I gripped the bedstead as my muscles adjusted to bearing my weight and gazed around the deserted room in the pale light.
What had happened here?
The security door at the end of the ward caught my eye. Normally, it was locked tight, its keypad flashing red, the hum of electricity a constant reminder of its function. Now, though, it hung ajar, the corridor beyond was enigmatic and inviting.
I hesitated, glancing at the fire exit lights above. The emergency power must have kicked in—but it clearly wasn’t enough to keep the security systems running.
It wasn’t just my ward. The entire hospital was lifeless.
I steadied myself and crept toward the door, my lightweight socks whispering against the pitted linoleum floor. A faint smell drifted past me—smoke, sharp and acrid, mixed with something metallic. My stomach twisted, my mind racing with half-formed theories. Fire? An evacuation? Or something worse?
I pushed the door open and stepped into the corridor beyond.
The hospital stretched out before me, a labyrinth of darkness punctuated only by the ghostly green glow of fire exit signs. The silence pressed against my ears, thick and suffocating.
Each room I passed was the same: vacated desks, abandoned computer terminals, empty beds with sheets crumpled as if their occupants had vanished mid-slumber. A wheelchair lay tipped over by the lift, its half open doors frozen in place. The faint smell of antiseptic clung to the air, but it was overpowered by the acrid tang of smoke.
I reached the stairwell and paused, gripping the rail for support. The smoke was stronger here, wafting up from the lower levels. It curled through the air, wrapping around me like an augury, depositing delicate ash on my gown.
As I turned a corner in the dim light, my foot caught on something sharp. A sudden, blinding pain shot through me. I stumbled, my bare foot landing on broken glass that glittered faintly in the glow of the fire exit light.
“Ah!” I hissed, pulling back and hopping on one leg. Blood welled up from a jagged cut on the sole of my foot, spilling onto the floor.
I reached down, trying to examine the wound, but the pain was already spreading, throbbing with each beat of my heart. I had no choice but to limp onward, leaving faint red smears behind me as I moved.
The ground floor was worse. The cafeteria was deserted, tables overturned and trays of half-eaten food scattered across the floor. A vending machine stood smashed in the corner, its contents long gone.
The fire exit doors were heavy, but they gave way with a single, desperate shove. They burst open with a hollow clang, and I stumbled out into the open air. The drizzle hit my skin like tiny needles, cold and biting.
I was unfamiliar with the hospital’s service yard and noticed a vehicle exit on the far side of the surrounding chain-link fence. The area contained a dozen industrial-sized refuse containers, enough space for a collection vehicle to turn around and allocated parking spaces for ten cars. All the skips were due to be emptied and overflowed with broken office furniture, surgical waste and swollen black bags, their contents reeking of decomposing matter.
The foul stench of decay caught the back of my throat as I shuffled toward the garbage. The wretched miasma nipped my eyes, making me grimace as if I’d sliced raw onions. I wiped away the bitter teardrops with trembling fingers and reached into the nearest skip. I was desperate for anything useful and hauled out a discarded sack of heavy angular items wrapped in black plastic. As I rifled through the contents, that’s when I saw it: a length of twisted lead piping, its surface tarnished but solid. I pulled it free and tested its weight in my hands. If there was anyone—or anything—still out there, I wasn’t going to face it unarmed.
As I skulked onward, a sharp movement caught my eye. A tawny owl perched on the edge of a skip, its head jerking and tilting as it foraged with its beak. The bird’s feathers glistened in the dim light, and a tattered scrap of food dangled for a moment before vanishing into the raptor’s throat.
I froze, watching the bird with a mix of fascination and disquiet. Its unblinking obsidian eyes flicked in my direction. For a split second it judged me with contempt, then returned to its carrion, indifferent to my presence.
I remained transfixed by the encounter. The only sound was the faint rustling of its wings and the occasional rasp of its claws against the skip’s metal rim.
“Mister Johnson!”
The high-pitched voice was sharp and unexpected, shattering the quiet. The startled bird let out a harsh, nasal screech as it took flight. Its wings beat the air furiously, scattering rain droplets as it rose in a frantic spiral before vanishing into the darkness.
They found me crouched between the bins, my grip on the pipe white-knuckled.
The woman in the rain spattered scrubs who’d called my name edged forward with her open palms visible. Her beady eyes were embedded in a face like a cracked granite escarpment and peered at me from under a dead-crow mop of hair. A few feet behind her, two men hovered in white uniforms, their postures tense. One held a syringe; the other carried restraints.
“Stay back!” I shouted, jabbing the hollow cudgel in front of me.
“Jamie,” Nurse Bailey said, her voice reduced to a soothing whisper. “We’re here to help. You’re hurt. Look at your foot—you’re bleeding.”
I glanced down at my left foot. The sock was soaked through, the dark stain spreading with every heartbeat.
“It’s nothing!” I barked, though my grip on the pipe faltered.
“Come on,” she cooed, stepping closer. “Let me take care of it. You’ve been through so much already. Let me fix this, and we’ll get you back inside where it’s safe.”
Her words slithered into my ears, and I felt my resolve waver. My head spun with exhaustion, pain, and confusion.
“Not… going back,” I muttered, but the words sounded weak even to me.
Her smile widened like a horizontal fissure. “It’s okay. We’ll patch you up and talk later. Let me help you, Jamie.”
The guards inched closer, their faces inscrutable as they emerged from the shadows. I was too slow to stop them. They wrenched the pipe from my hand, and tackled me to the ground.
Bailey crouched beside me, her jaw clenched as her forefinger flicked the raised syringe. “Shh, Jamie. It’s okay,” she said, forcing the plunging up until the air bubbles escaped. “We’ll get you back upstairs, and everything will make sense again.”
Her voice dripped with condescension, and I felt the sharp prick of the needle in my arm. My struggles slowed, the world sagged at the edges and my eyelids fluttered shut.
As they hauled me back inside, the smell of smoke lingered in the air.
Maybe Bailey was right. Perhaps the fire was just a false alarm. Or was it the beginning of the end and we were the only survivors?
The End
Five Ways to Make French Toast
and 25 Recipe Ideas
Kitchen tools, gourmet foods, baking mixes, and hard-to-find baking ingredients mentioned in this article are available at The Prepared Pantry.
by Dennis Weaver
When four year old Anna, our granddaughter, shows up at our house in the mornings, she wants French toast. Nothing else will do. She wants French toast with powdered sugar and maple-flavored syrup.
In the mornings, I want French toast. But I usually put apricot syrup on mine or maybe some really good jam. And I prefer chewy, hearty breads or maybe a sourdough, not Anna’s soft white breads. Breads with oats are particularly good—I like the chewy texture that oats give.
There are few meals that are as easy and foolproof as French toast. Maybe because it is so easy, we drop into a rut and make the same French toast over and over. That’s too bad. There are countless ways, even adventurous ways, to make French toast. Today we’re going to explore five different ways to make French toast.
How to Cook French Toast
At its simplest, French toast is merely sliced bread dipped in an egg and milk batter and then fried on a griddle. (We usually add a generous amount of really good cinnamon. See the section on tools and ingredients for choices of cinnamon.) The egg batter, because it is mostly eggs, is a custard and sets up like a custard. The proteins in the eggs don’t coagulate until they reach 150 to 160 degrees and so to avoid soggy centers, the bread needs to cook until the center reaches that temperature.
French toast doesn’t have to be plain French toast. Everyone cooks French toast on the griddle, but it can also be deep fried, baked, stuffed, or coated to make crusted French toast. We’ll give you examples.
Baked French Toast
Baked French toast can be velvety, smooth, and luscious. There is a fine line between baked French toast and bread pudding.
Baked French toast is baked in a custard in an open pan. It can be assembled the night before and held in the refrigerator overnight to be baked in the morning. Debbie, our daughter, makes baked French toast on Christmas morning. It is spectacular, fitting for the occasion, and because all the work is done the night before, it doesn’t distract from the celebrations of the morning. Consider baked French toast for company, for Easter, or for Christmas.
Stuffed French Toast
If you can make a sandwich, you can make stuffed French toast. Simply put a filling between two slices of bread, dip the sandwich, and cook it. Because it is thicker and you have to drive the interior temperature to 150 degrees or more, turn the heat down just a bit and then cook it twice as long.
Fillings can be cream cheese sweetened with jam, cream cheese mixed with fresh blueberries or strawberries, or pastry fillings. Often cream cheese fillings are sweetened with powdered sugar and flavored with an extract or citrus zest.
Deep Fried French Toast
We discovered deep fried French toast by accident. We were experimenting with Monte Cristo-type sandwiches– sandwiches that are dipped in an egg batter and fried. We were cooking them on the griddle and then switched to more of a tempura-type batter and started deep frying them. The deep fried sandwiches with tempura batter are crispy and very good. Along the way, we made a peanut butter and jam sandwich, dipped it in tempura batter, and deep fried it. Viola! We had discovered deep fried French toast.
We made sandwiches with cream cheese filling and with pastry filling and deep fried them. Those visiting our test kitchen that day found the deep fried concoctions much better than those cooked on the griddle.
By the way, the deep fried peanut butter and jam sandwiches were very good. If you make them, sprinkle them with a little powdered sugar and serve them with maple or cream syrup.
Crusted French Toast
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention crusted French toast. I think Debbie discovered this. She spread cherry jam between two slices of bread, dipped the sandwich in egg batter and then in chopped pecans, and cooked it on the griddle. She had pecan-crusted, cherry French toast. It was very good.
You can let your imagination run wild on this one. Coconut instead of chopped tree nuts is very good. We found some little candied coconut sprinkles and used them in place of the nuts. The sugars in sprinkles melted into a very nice, candied crust. But alas, we can’t get any more of those little sprinkles.
Equipment and Ingredients
You probably have the equipment that you need for cooking French toast on the griddle: whisks, turners, and a griddle. If you are deep frying, a Fry Daddy is convenient although we typically use a large pot with a clip-on candy thermometer.
We would not think of making French toast without a selection of cinnamon. Most often, we use the best Korintje Cassia cinnamon we can. It’s amazing what a difference a good cinnamon will make. (If you’ve been stuck with inexpensive grocery store cinnamon, throw it away. You should be able to dip your finger in a good cinnamon and taste it and it won’t be astringent and mediciney.)
Vietnamese or Saigon cinnamon has more cinnamon oil in it. It is incredible and we use it a lot, especially with apples. The flavor is much more pronounced than in Cassia. You deserve to have some in your cupboard. You will use it often.
Ceylon or Sri Lanka cinnamon is much more subdued, almost with a fruity tone. We use it in buttery pastries and such where we do not want the cinnamon to be too outstanding. We have a hard time keeping Sri Lanka cinnamon in stock but if we have some, pick it up.
You need great syrups and maybe jams for your French toast. We use fruit syrups a lot but the real find was cream syrups. They are made with a cream base and are thick and rich. They complement rather than compete with fruit fillings. As of this writing, we have maple cream, cinnamon cream, coconut cream, and vanilla cream syrup. The vanilla cream syrup is very much like a caramel syrup.
And if you’re going to be serious about stuffed French toast, you need. They come in everything from Bavarian cream to raspberry. They come in two-pound squeezable tubes, are inexpensive, and leftovers will keep for a very long time in your refrigerator.
One Saturday morning we were making stuffed French toast in our test kitchen. (We call them classes but mostly they’re an excuse to clown around and feed people.) Mostly we were using pastry fillings but made some with cream cheese fillings. Every once in a while, you hit an “ah-ha moment” when you find something that is hands down the class favorite. It was a mixture of blueberry filling and lemon filling in a stuffed French toast.
21 Stuffed French Toast Ideas
1. Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast: Just cream cheese filling.
2. Strawberries & Cream Stuffed French Toast: Bavarian cream filling with sliced fresh strawberries.
3. Raspberries & Cream Stuffed French Toast: Bavarian cream filling raspberry pastry filling.
4. Blueberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast: Blueberry pastry filling and cream cheese pastry filling.
5. PB & J Stuffed French Toast: Peanut butter and your favorite jam or jelly.
6. Banana Cream Pie Stuffed French Toast: Sliced bananas and Bavarian cream filling.
7. Cinnamon Burst Stuffed French Toast: Bavarian cream filling with cinnamon chips stirred into it.
8. Chocolate Cherry Stuffed French Toast: Cherry pastry filling with some chocolate chips or wafers sprinkled over the top.
9. Apple Pie Stuffed French Toast: Just apple pastry or pie filling.
10. Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast: Creamy peanut butter topped with sliced bananas.
11. Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast: Canned pumpkin pie filling and cream cheese filling.
12. Toasted Coconut Stuffed French Toast: Cream cheese filling between 2 slices of bread dipped in the egg batter and then in coconut flakes, then grilled.
13. Strawberry & Banana Stuffed French Toast: Bavarian cream filling topped with sliced bananas and strawberries.
14. Huckleberry Stuffed French Toast: Bavarian cream topped with fresh huckleberries.
15. Chocolate Stuffed French Toast: Chocolate Pudding filled and then dipped in chocolate egg batter.
16. Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed French Toast: Creamy Peanut butter mixed with Bavarian cream, topped with chocolate chips or wafers, and dipped in chocolate egg batter.
17. Banana Split Stuffed French Toast: Bavarian cream, sliced bananas, maraschino cherries and chopped nuts, stuffed between 2 slices of bread.
18. Blueberry Lemon Stuffed French Toast: Blueberry pastry filling and lemon pastry filling.
19. Lemon Cream Pie Stuffed French Toast: Lemon pastry filling and Bavarian cream filling.
20. Cherry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast: Cherry pastry filling and cream cheese filling.
21. Pecan Crust Stuffed French Toast: Bavarian or cream cheese filling dipped in the egg batter, then chopped pecans before cooking.
Lou Ann’s Cinnamon Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast
This is an unusual recipe with flour added to the egg and milk mixture, more like a tempura batter.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup cinnamon chips
- 10 slices good quality bread
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup cold milk
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Butter for frying
Instructions
- Combine the cream cheese, sugar, and cinnamon chips in a bowl. Spread the mixture on half the slices of bread and top with the other half to form sandwiches.
- Whisk the egg, milk, and vanilla together. Gradually stir in the flour.
- Heat a skillet with a couple tablespoons of butter in it. When the skillet is hot, dip the sandwiches in the egg mixture, turning to cover both sides, and then place them in the hot skillet. Cook one side of the sandwiches and then the other until the French toast is lightly browned
- Serve immediately.
Variations
You can use this basic recipe and mix in three or four tablespoons of your favorite jam or jelly instead of the chips.
Maple Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast: Substitute maple chips for the cinnamon chips.
Raspberry Almond Cheese Stuffed French Toast: Omit the cinnamon chips and vanilla. Add three or four tablespoons seedless raspberry jam and one teaspoon almond extract to the cream cheese.
Banana Cream Pie French Toast
Ingredients
- Bavarian cream pastry filling
- bananas
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 6 to 8 slices of bread
Instructions
- In a flat dish, mix the eggs and milk.
- Spread Bavarian cream filling and slices of banana between two slices of bread as if making a sandwich. Place the sandwich in the egg mixture, let it soak for a moment, and then repeat on the other side.
- Cook on a hot grill as for French toast. The temperature should be slightly lower than normal to allow the heat to penetrate to the filling.
- Serve with cream syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.
Cherry Cheesecake Pecan-Crusted French Toast
Stuffed French toast is always a treat. This one is stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese and cherry jam, and then crusted with pecans. (We considered calling this Cherry Cheesecake, Stuffed, Pecan-Crusted French Toast but that seemed a little long.)
This is easy to make. Make a sandwich with the cherry cheesecake filling, dip the sandwich in egg, and dredge it in chopped pecans.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese (regular or low fat)
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- About 2/3 cup cherry jam
- Bread slices
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Finely chop the pecans. We used a Deluxe Stainless Steel Nut and Veggie Chopper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whip the cream cheese, sour cream, and extract. Fold in the jam. Spread the cherry and cream cheese mixture between two slices of bread sandwich-style.
- Whisk the eggs and milk together. Dip the sandwiches in the egg mixture and then dredge the egg-coated sandwiches in the crushed pecans.
- Cook the coated sandwiches on a hot griddle or in a frying pan first on one side and then the other.
- Serve immediately with strawberry syrup or maple syrup.
Overnight Baked French Toast
This recipe is one of Melissa’s favorites.
It’s a soft, French toast made by layering the bread and egg mixture in a baking pan the night before and baking it in the morning. It’s almost a bread pudding layered with caramel syrup.
This is “bed and breakfast good”—and so handy. Because you mix it up the night before, it’s easy to make on a busy morning. We’re so glad that Melissa shared this recipe with us.
This baked French toast is made up the night before in an 8 1/2 x 13-inch pan. In the morning, you just pop it in the oven.
Let it bake while you are getting ready for the day and you’ll have a wonderful breakfast for your family.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 12 slices soft bread
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt the butter in an 8 1/2 x 13-inch baking pan. Stir in the brown sugar and one teaspoon cinnamon. Layer the bread two slices deep in the pan.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, and cinnamon together. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread. Sprinkle the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon over the bread. Place the pan in the refrigerator overnight.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the bread is browned.
- Serve hot with maple syrup, peach syrup, or cinnamon apple syrup. Top with butter or honey butter.
Dennis Weaver is the founder of The Prepared Pantry, a full line kitchen store in Rigby, Idaho. The Prepared Pantry sells kitchen tools, gourmet foods, and baking ingredients including hundreds of hard-to-find ingredients.
What are some signs that China’s tech industry is booming?
To be honest, the pace of China’s progress is so rapid that even I, as a Chinese person, sometimes find it hard to keep up. It feels like things are changing day by day.
In 2022, the government announced plans to make Beijing a bicycle-friendly city. I was skeptical at first, but just a year and a half later, less than two kilometers from my home, a wide, colorful dedicated bicycle path appeared, flanked by trees and rivers. This 40-kilometer-long path is off-limits to motor vehicles and is exclusively for bicycles, walking, and running. The cycling experience is nothing short of heavenly.
What’s more, I didn’t even notice when they started or finished building it! So, I haven’t bothered to check whether the government’s 2022 promise (to build 1,500 kilometers of dedicated bicycle paths in Beijing) has been fully realized. I believe it has, at least the part near my home. For me, 40 kilometers is more than enough for exercise.
The same goes for robots.
I can’t remember exactly how many years ago it was, but I was staying at a hotel when I saw an automatic food delivery robot. I was so curious and thought it was something out of science fiction. The first time I saw a delivery robot on the street, I even deliberately blocked its path, not letting it pass. If it moved left, I moved left; if it moved right, I moved right… I was really bullying the robot!
Now, such things are commonplace.
But indeed, I looked it up: back in 2008, China had almost no industrial robots, just a tiny fraction compared to Japan and South Korea. But by 2022, China’s number of industrial robots had surpassed the total of all other countries combined. I suspect the gap (between China and the rest of the world) will only grow larger in the future.
（Robotic police officers have already been experimented with for street patrols, taking over dangerous tasks from humans.）
(This video is about a school, and I never could have dreamed that schools are so advanced now, much better than in our time. When I was in school, my greatest wish was to have glass in the windows, but there was none; they were all covered with newspaper, and it was very cold in the winter.)
As a Chinese person living in Beijing, I occasionally find myself surprised: “When did this new thing appear? I’ve never seen it before!” For foreigners, especially those who don’t pay much attention to China, it must seem even more unbelievable.
Additional note: I saw a picture today that perfectly answers your question.
The train drivers in the two pictures are the same person.
The top picture is from 1997, and the bottom picture is from 20 years later, in 2017.
What are the biggest challenges of climbing mountains at night?
As a teenager living in a mountain village in North Wales, my Dad was in the Mountain Rescue team. He told me of the dangers of going up mountains unprepared or inexperienced. He’d seen the results of which many times.
Typically tourists would randomly decide to “climb a mountain”. With no proper clothing, footwear or even provisions and basic equipment, they’d set off, often in sunny weather. Within as little as an hour they could find themselves in low cloud, torrential rain, gusting winds – or all of these and even snow and ice.
They’d often get lost – especially with the low cloud conditions – and suddenly they’re in a survival situation.
The Rescue Team would go up to rescue tourists who had broken bones after a fall, lost their way completely, or worse. Sometimes they’d ended up going over a sheer drop in almost zero visibility.
Many times they rescued people who were caught out in the dark, in sub zero temperatures, wearing shorts and t-shirts and even sandals!
Sometimes they’d end up retrieving bodies.
Relating all this specifically to your question. Don’t even dream of climbing at night until you are an expert in daytime conditions, have all the necessary equipment and clothing, including supplies for any conditions and spares! You’ll need to be expert in navigation and route following and have reliable head torches and spare batteries etc. Make sure you have left your planned itinerary with someone, including ETA back. Don’t go alone and it’s not the time to introduce a newbie to the scene.
President Putin orders his cabinet ministers to prepare for Western companies’ return to Russia. Are they returning to their previous business assets which were confiscated in retaliation against the west for freezing $300B Russia’s foreign assets?
Well, if you are Boeing, airbus, GE or Pratt and Whitney, you can walk right back supplying parts and service. This will help Russia’s commercial aviation fleet stay in the air. New sales may be a problem, and Russia may demand it be tied to the release of frozen foreign assets.
Same story with liebherr, John deere, chips and other specialized industrial goods. You want our business give us back the means to pay for them.
But if you are Starbucks or mcdonald’s, the choice locations are gone and won’t easily come back. The local competition has taken over and one will have to start from scratch, including the all-important local supply chain. Which is going to take money they may be unwilling to spend, given the risks and competition involved. The rug-pull has been spectacular and the furniture completely replaced in a thorough makeover.
The big obstacle is sanctions. With the >22,000 sanctions hanging over Russia’s head, it’s next to impossible doing business in Russia as a western corporation today. The sanction regime needs a change pronto.
We will see. Too much to undo before we see any result.