Choppy times, but things are accelerating towards change like a “bat out of Hell”.

The USA is in full-on “war mode”. It’s all downhill from here. Worrisome.

But, seriously, China plays a tough game, and the participants on the side of the USA are one big clown-show.

But do not worry.

MM lays out the future

Laying the groundwork for war

These Bills to punish and isolate China in the event of hostilities between US and China are only the first raft of measures against China. They are a prelude to all manner of Isolation Sanctions and Sequestration of China USD reserves and assets overseas, including the assets of Chinese individuals, defined as they please. The wave of McCarthyism sweeping the US against things Chinese can only intensify with the bipartisan support for containing China. Can the breakout of War be far behind?

Today, the House Financial Services Committee advanced several bipartisan bills during its first markup of the 118^th Congress to combat the generational threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) economic aggression. This comes after the Committee held its first hearing of the Congress on combatting the economic threat from China.

The following measures were agreed to and subsequently reported to the House of Representatives:

• H.R. 554, the “Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act of 2023,” sponsored by Rep. French Hill (AR-02), will disincentivize Chinese aggression towards Taiwan by publishing the assets of top Chinese leaders, as well as cutting them and their family members off from financial services, if Beijing acts against Taiwan.

•  H.R. 1076, the “Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act,” sponsored by Rep. Monica De La Cruz (TX-15), will combat the flow of illicit Chinese fentanyl into American communities through a study on illicit financing in connection with the trafficking of synthetic drugs.

•  H.R. 540, the “Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act of 2023,” sponsored by Rep. Young Kim (CA-40), will require the U.S. to advocate for Taiwan’s membership at the International Monetary Fund.

•  H.R. 510, the “Chinese Currency Accountability Act of 2023,” sponsored by Rep. Warren Davidson (OH-08), will prevent the CCP from coopting critical international institutions like the International Monetary Fund by requiring the Treasury Secretary to oppose an increase in the weight of China’s renminbi in the basket of currencies determining the value of Special Drawing Rights.

• H.R. 839, the “China Exchange Rate Transparency Act of 2023,” sponsored by Rep. Dan Meuser (PA-09), will protect global market participants from the CCP’s exploitative practices by requiring the U.S. Director at the International Monetary Fund to advocate for greater transparency in China’s disclosure of its exchange rate policies.

• H.R. 803, the “PROTECT Taiwan Act,” sponsored by Rep. Frank Lucas (OK-03), will help isolate the CCP from the international financial system by directing the Federal Reserve, the Secretary of Treasury, and the Securities and Exchange Commission to exclude representatives from the People’s Republic of China from proceedings of various international financial groups and organizations in the event of an invasion of Taiwan.

• H.R. 555, the “Securing America’s Vaccines for Emergencies (SAVE) Act of 2023,” sponsored by Rep. Hill, will help end U.S. over-reliance on adversarial governments for medical supplies during an emergency by bolstering and diversifying existing supply chains through the Defense Production Act.

• H.R. 1156, the “China Financial Threat Mitigation Act of 2023,” sponsored by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), will promote American financial resiliency by requiring the Treasury Secretary to report on global economic risks emanating from the Chinese financial sector.

• H.R. 1166, the “Public Health Emergency Medical Supplies Enhancement Act of 2023,” sponsored by Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-52), will ensure adequate stockpiles of emergency supplies by classifying certain materials as scarce during an emergency period.

• H.R. 1161, the “Aligning SEC Regulations for the World Bank’s International Development Association Act,” sponsored by Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-43), would classify securities issued by the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) as exempted securities.

China pioneers portable electromagnetic gun, sets development trend for future weapons

By Liu Xuanzun

A type of portable electromagnetic riot gun developed by China recently went through a firing test and displayed traits superior to traditional firearms, including low noise, little muzzle flash and low recoil, with experts saying on Monday that the technology marks a development trend for future weapons.

The gun uses nine coils to accelerate projectiles, which are stored in a magazine behind the coils, Lei Fengqiao, an employee at Chongqing Jianshe Industry (Group) Co Ltd under the state-owned China South Industries Group Co Ltd, said in a program on China Central Television (CCTV) on Sunday.

Unlike traditional firearms that fire round bullets, the electromagnetic gun fires projectiles shaped like a coin, as the gun is designed for riot control purposes rather than causing lethal damage, Lei said.

Coin-shaped projectiles will less likely cause penetration damage, have a larger spread, which makes the gun more suppressive, and are easy to manufacture at an inexpensive price, he said.

The munitions are also easy to carry and do not use gunpowder, which makes them easy to store and transport, CCTV said.

A built-in lithium battery provides power to the gun. A fully charged cell allows the gun to fire hundreds of rounds consecutively before a fast recharge, and temperature has little effect on it, CCTV reported.

The grip is set at the middle of the gun to balance the weight, while at the front of the gun are three buttons that can switch between different firing modes, change power output, and turn on and off, Lei said.

A small screen on the gun shows its status, including battery usage, munition usage, temperature and firing mode. It has an automatic mode, a semi-automatic mode and a shotgun mode, the CCTV report shows.

A rail on the top of the gun allows it to be equipped with scopes and calibration devices of the operator’s choice to assist in aiming, Lei said.

Surpassing the rate of fire of traditional rifles, which is about 700 to 800 rounds per minute, the electromagnetic gun’s top rate of fire can reach several thousand rounds per minute.

The weapon attracted public attention after it made its debut at the Airshow China 2022 in Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong Province.

In a firing test, the electromagnetic gun easily destroyed wooden planks, beer bottles and car windows, had low noise and little muzzle flash, gave off no smoke or bullet shells, and had low recoil, CCTV reported.

Lei said that the electromagnetic launch technology is characterized by high stealth, which is the direction of development for future weapons.

In addition to riot guns, electromagnetic launch technology can also be applied to other weapons such as lethal guns, from handheld guns to large-caliber artillery, a Beijing-based military expert told the Global Times on Monday, requesting anonymity.

China has reportedly been testing a warship-mounted electromagnetic railgun. Another possible application is for air defense, due to its high rate of fire, the expert said.

“Aint No Reason”Be cool 1080p Final Song Scene

How to Fight Smart (Sun Tzu)

Posted on 04/03/2021 by Einzelganger

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The Chinese military general and strategist Sun Tzu, who lived around 2,500 years ago, argued that the ability to wage war is of vital importance to the state. According to him, it’s a matter of life and death, and cannot be neglected. In his manual The Art of War, Sun Tzu states that the superior way of winning a war is winning by not fighting.

But when this path, for some reason, is not accessible, then we must confront the situation with the utmost care. We must know what strategies to use in the right conditions, and which battles to enter and which to avoid. Being unskilled in the art of war can have devastating consequences. Going into battle without a plan, letting our emotions get the best of us, not taking the welfare and humanity of the army into account, or attacking a stronger opponent that we simply cannot defeat, are among the mistakes that will lead to our doom.

Hence, according to Sun Tzu we must use our intelligence to fight a war, study our enemy closely, take into account the circumstances before we attack, not overextend and exhaust ourselves, and even throw ‘honor’ out of the window by using tricks and diversions to win if necessary, as the Soviets did (quite brutally) by using suicide dogs against Nazi tanks; not for glory or fame, but for effectiveness and victory.

In a previous video about Sun Tzu, we’ve globally explored his ideas on warfare from a viewpoint of ‘winning without fighting’. This video is the first part of a series that dives deeper into Sun Tzu’s wisdom for fighting smart in war, and how we can use this to approach the battles of everyday life. The third chapter of Sun Tzu’s book focuses on choosing the right strategy, which is a good place to start our journey. Hence, this first part is based on the third chapter. Also, the elaborations in this video are partly based on the author’s interpretations and reasoning.

Using the right strategy

During his career, John Perkins stood before the Shah of Iran, the president of Indonesia, and the royal house of Saudi Arabia, offering them large sums of money if they would agree to the terms that he laid out in front of them. But if they didn’t agree, then retaliation would follow. John Perkins was an economic hitman, who helped to shape a global capitalist system that’s based on the exploitation of resources through bribery, assassination, and even war.

In his book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, he describes the tactics that his organization used to conquer its opponents, which were generally leaders of countries. First, they would make them an offer they can’t refuse. This could be a sum of money in exchange for cheap labor or a deal with a company to pay off the country’s debt in exchange for oil. If they refused, then they would try to overthrow or assassinate them. This, according to Perkins, happened to Jaime Roldós, president of Ecuador, who didn’t want to change his plans to reorganize the hydrocarbon sector, which threatened the interests of the United States. In 1981 Roldós died in a plane crash.

In some cases, these assassination attempts failed. An example of this is Saddam Hussein, who, said Perkins, refused to implement the same oil policy as the Saudis did. In 2003, a combined force of troops invaded Iraq. In the same year, Saddam Hussein was captured. After his trial, he was executed. In no way this video intends to condone the actions described by Perkins. It’s merely a pitch-black example to illustrate how this strategy has been successfully implemented many times: unfortunately for questionable reasons and with terrible consequences. However, the strategy that the economic hitmen use resembles the tiered system that Sun Tzu proposed in the third chapter of his book, which aims to prevent violent conflict if possible.

Sun Tzu distinguished different forms of warfare. The highest form is to attack strategy, the second-highest form is to attack alliances, the next is to attack armies, and attacking cities is the last resort. In the ethical sense, we want to win without causing too many casualties because it’s the most humanitarian thing to do. Winning without fighting causes virtually no casualties, but bombing cities will result in the death of many innocent civilians.

An example of the devastating effects that choosing the last resort can have is the atomic bombings on the Japanese cities Nagasaki and Hiroshima during the Second World War. This event ended the war quickly, but it wasn’t a victory to be festive about, as these bombings resulted in a death toll of hundreds of thousands of people. With a total death toll of around seventy-five million people as a consequence of the Second World War, we can’t speak of any victory; it was a humanitarian catastrophe with mostly losers. This is something that Sun Tzu wants us to prevent.

In a pragmatic sense, we can also make a case for fighting smart by preventing not only destruction but also unnecessary effort and spending of resources. Sun Tzu states:

The rule is, not to besiege walled cities if it can possibly be avoided. The preparation of mantlets, movable shelters, and various implements of war, will take up three whole months; and the piling up of mounds over against the walls will take three months more.

Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 3.4  

So, if we can, it’s always better to try fighting with efficient and non-destructive methods. The first one is to attack strategy. Attacking strategy means attacking the enemy’s plans; or, in some way, obstructing them. By doing this we solve the conflict at the root; which is the scheme from which a possible threat arises. The beauty of this method is that it doesn’t generally involve bloodshed.

Imagine, for example, a couple of coworkers are planning to reorganize your department, with the consequence that your position within the company becomes obsolete. You can sue your company as a countermove, but chances are that you’ll lose the case, and you’ll suffer great financial losses in the process. Instead, it’s more efficient to obstruct their plans, for example by convincing the management that their plans are bad, and by presenting counter plans that involve you. Or you can try to sabotage their plans in one way or another.

When this doesn’t cut it, Sun Tzu urges us to attack alliances. For example, if the obstruction of your coworkers’ plans fails, you can then try to weaken the alliances by turning people against each other. This can be done by gossiping, creating alliances yourself, and disclosing information that shows your opponents in a bad light. Admittingly, these methods aren’t the most elegant ways of achieving one’s goal. But, again, they generally don’t involve bloodshed, although they could provoke violence nonetheless.

Knowing when to fight

When none of the previous methods work, it may be a lost cause. Sure, we can try to attack the company as a whole. But we must choose our battles well. The strength of an army is limited, as is the case with ourselves and our resources. Sun Tzu lies the importance of calculations at the base of all of his strategies. Is there a chance of winning? Or is it better to avoid battle?

It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy’s one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack him; if twice as numerous, to divide our army into two. If equally matched, we can offer battle; if slightly inferior in numbers, we can avoid the enemy; if quite unequal in every way, we can flee from him.

Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 3.8-9 

If you have a reasonable chance of winning, fighting could be a viable option. But then it’s essential to remember that our resources and energy are finite. To put it pragmatically: what’s the ‘net profit’ as a result of fighting this battle? Will it improve our situation or will it drain us and leave us worse than before we entered it? Sun Tzu argued against fighting long, exhausting battles, as they do not only deplete one’s resources but also destroy the army’s morale. “There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare,” he stated.

Sun Tzu justly argues that it’s better to take a country intact and to capture a regiment, detachment, or company without harming or destroying it. With such thinking, we could also approach the battles of everyday life. If we evaluate all proposed steps in detail, will the benefits outweigh the losses or the other way around? If the latter is the case, and we’re still eager to fight, we’re probably being led by emotion rather than reason and logic. According to Sun Tzu, being led by emotion can have disastrous effects when it comes to decision-making. I quote:

The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants, with the result that one-third of his men are slain, while the town still remains untaken. Such are the disastrous effects of a siege.

Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 3.5 

Wrap-up

At the end of the day, life is full of battles, and it’s best to prevent destructive confrontations if that’s possible.

Unfortunately, this isn’t always an option.

But this doesn’t mean that the degree of destructiveness cannot be mitigated. Sun Tzu teaches us that there are many shades of grey between peace and violence.

He shows us the alternatives to the equivalent of what he calls ‘siege warfare’.

If we can’t solve the problems by diplomacy, can we win by sabotaging the enemy’s plans?

Can we destroy alliances?

Can we defeat the armies and spare innocent civilians?

Sun Tzu urges us to choose our battles carefully.

This requires calculations as well as sufficient knowledge about ourselves, the enemy, and the circumstances we’re up against.

Defeating the enemy quickly and efficiently is preferable. But getting entangled in long, exhausting conflicts must be avoided.

And in some cases, when the odds are so clearly stacked against us, there’s no reasonable course of action but to give up and leave.

Thank you for watching.

Chicken Edovo

A delicious Philippine entree!

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 4 or 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, sliced into rings
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce over chicken
• Salt and pepper
• 4 or 5 bay leaves

Instructions

1. Rinse chicken. Cut up into small pieces.
2. Brown onion rings and garlic in oil, then add chicken pieces and brown.
3. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken.
4. Bring to boil and cook covered until chicken is tender and done.
5. Taste juice. Add more vinegar or soy sauce to your taste.
6. Serve chicken and juice over rice.

82-Year-Old Man Covers DROWNING POOLS “Bodies” on Americas Got Talent!

This guy is fucking living life. Man! I hope that I still can rage like him at 83!

This software reveals true color of ‘Summit for Democracy’: Global Times editorial

By Global Times

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In the just concluded so-called Summit for Democracy, US President Joe Biden, as the host, declared that a coalition will be formed to combat governments “who misuse surveillance technologies for repression.” He also used an executive order that prohibits the US government’s use of commercial spyware as a prominent example of the US’ leadership in strengthening “democracy,” portraying the US as the “defender” of global cyberspace.

However, when Washington’s facade is still fresh and new, the New York Times on Sunday published an article about the US government’s secret use of spyware from the Israeli firm NSO Group, which once again completely exposes the US’ true nature as a fake defender of global cyberspace.

NSO, mentioned in the New York Times, is the same company that created the spyware Pegasus, known as “perhaps the most powerful spyware ever created.” The Pegasus scandal once caused a global sensation. The spyware has a daunting ability to collect information about location, photos and passwords without the users’ permission. It has spied on at least 50,000 phone numbers from 50 countries, including those of hundreds of politicians and government officials. This triggered a chain reaction and even a political storm. The incident was called “one of the biggest spy scandals of our time” by some media.

Early last year, a New York Times investigation revealed that the FBI had purchased Pegasus, after which FBI Director Christopher Wray admitted that the FBI had indeed purchased the spyware, but only for “research and development.” In the latest investigation by the New York Times on Sunday, the White House, after placing NSO on a Commerce Department blacklist in 2021, used a front company to sign a contract to purchase Landmark, another software from NSO. “Under this contract, according to two people, there have been thousands of queries in at least one country, Mexico,” wrote the report.

In fact, specific spying behaviors from the US as a veritable “empire of mass surveillance” are no longer considered “news.” As early as 2013, the PRISM scandal revealed that Mexico’s then-president was under US surveillance. Perhaps Mexicans can only sigh that they are “so far from God, so close to the US.” On the contrary, regarding Pegasus and its company NSO, the US government has once again shown the double face of raising standards for others high while abandoning its bottom line easily. The world needs to be more alert to this.

After the Pegasus scandal was exposed by multiple media outlets and widely condemned in July 2021, the US government blacklisted NSO in November of that year, claiming that it engaged in activities that are “contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the US.”

However, according to a New York Times report, the US government had secretly deployed the hacking tool domestically for many years and given it to other countries before the ban. Even after the ban was issued, the US government continued to sign contracts with the company despite the scandal, and the contract remains valid to this day.

Washington’s hypocritical and sinister side is also reflected in the fact that after NSO was targeted by the US and fell into difficulties, other partners were “scared away,” and then the US defense contractor giant L3Harris Technologies Inc “coincidentally” appeared and began acquisition negotiations. According to reports, L3Harris Technologies has had close communication with US intelligence agencies and the US Department of Commerce and has made some progress. Perhaps at this point, the real reason why the US Department of Commerce sanctioned NSO has become apparent. Even the Israeli side couldn’t help but feel angry at the US’ hypocrisy.

Many media outlets, including the New York Times, have reported that the “Five Eyes Alliance” is considered by NSO as its largest potential market, and it is highly likely that they have already cooperated. As China has become the main target of the “Five Eyes Alliance” in recent years, we have reason to suspect that it will use Pegasus to spy on China. Given the US’ consistent style, we can only speculate on the worst-case scenario regarding its bottom line.

Of course, this does not prevent the US from putting on an enthusiastic performance at the “Summit for Democracy,” nor does it prevent many Americans from constantly hyping the so-called Chinese hackers issue and shifting attention by slandering other countries. However, from the PRISM scandal to Bvp47 and Dirty COW to Irritant Horn and MUSCULAR project, the “moral” banner raised by Washington is riddled with holes. The image that Washington has left in the eyes of the world is already that of a “false preacher” who shouts slogans louder and pulls the bottom line lower.

U.S. calls for joint G-7 action to prevent China’s economic bullying – Nikkei Asia

How would the G7 countries respond? 

French company TotalEnergies just sold LNG to China in RMB. 

A revolt, a rebellion, and from a major ally. 

With Russia, Brazil and very soon Saudi Arabia as well as other Gulf States selling their oil and gas in RMB, we will see more of similar reports.

With Aramco's refinery investments in China, delivering upwards of 700,000 barrels a day, it means that China will be selling finished products to ASEAN and surrounding countries needing energy to develop their economies (may even include American lapdogs). All of that will, of course, be in RMB. 

As petro-dollar gets eaten up by petro-yuan, so goes dollar-hegemony. At some point, the US will be forced by its loss of dollar-hegemony to act responsibly. No longer will it be able to continue with its profligate printing and inflating. No longer will it be able to ask the rest of the world to suffer the consequences of its QEs. No longer will it be able to create unlimited funds to fuel wars and feed its MIC. No longer will it be able to sanction anyone at will. That is how an empire falls, and that is the global change unseen in a century.

I actually predicted this in a Quora article when Trump started the US-China Trade War in 2018. I'm no prophet. All I did was stop believing in lies. Read the comments too. Some of my replies are brutal. I really haven't done much on Quora, maybe starting again after finishing my trilogy, which is taking very long. Here is a cleaner copy on my blog page.

I won't end this without another prediction. This may surprise some people because you can't depend on pundits to tell you any real insight. 

The fall of the empire will cause great changes for Israel and Palestine. A lot of the move to the east by Arabian countries is caused by an unspoken sliver of pain and humiliation stuck in the heart of most Arabs, There are 450 million Arabs surrounding less than 10 million Israelis, of which over 20% are Arabs. 

The walls that Israel built to imprison the Palestinians will become prison walls for the future Israel if they do not see the writing on the wall. 

The Jews will survive as they have survived for millenia. 

The state of Israel has come and gone in the past, and if the modern state of Israel continues on its current path, no one will weep a single tear when it gets replaced by a just and peaceful entity, probably under another name. And they can kiss their shekels goodbye.

PM

Owners Let Their Norwegian Forest Cat Roam Freely Outside, And He Looks Majestic

In March 2018, Camilla from Norway fell head over heels in love with an 8-week-old kitten she saw online. It was a Norwegian Forest cat looking for his forever home. In the photo that captivated Camilla, the little rascal was simply irresistible, tilting his head and staring at the woman from the screen with the biggest, most innocent eyes she had ever seen.

“I was completely sold,” Camilla told Bored Panda. “A few moments later, [there was no question about it]. Me and my boyfriend Sondre were going to become cat owners. In May, we brought home the sweetest little ball of fur. He made us so happy.”

More: Instagram h/t: boredpanda

Bubbles and the Shitrockers (feat. Alex Lifeson) – Who’s Got Yer Belly

Moscow Diary: The Capital of the Multipolar World

This is about Russia-China - and beyond. 

After nearly 4 decades as a foreign correspondent all over the planet, I am not exactly impressed by anything anymore. 

But my four weeks in Moscow that felt like decades - in the eye of the hurricane - were something on a whole new level. 

I did manage to talk to some of the Chinese sherpas in Xi's delegation. 

Preferred to keep it private. 

The diary was originally published on Strategic Culture - totally censored all across NATOstan. 

And yet ZeroHedge picks up a lot of my columns - without mentioning the source - so now tons of Americans are reading it. 

Talk about a Sun Tzu media move. 

All the best to all of you, 

Pepe 

Link HERE

Trailer park boys, jroc KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING?

By Global Times

As US armchair politicians and analysts are hyping up a possible war, true American warriors are calling for peace. Everyone needs to calm down about war with China, top US general Mark Milley said on Friday in an interview with Defense One. On Monday, Taipei Times published a front-page story featuring Milley’s rhetoric.

According to Defense One, the China heat is on following this year’s Chinese balloon saga. In the past few weeks, members of Congress in hearings aimed a list of concerns about China – everything from nuclear weapons to computer chips, “invading” Taiwan, and allying with Russia – at Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. “Milley has taken to telling lawmakers that war with China – and Russia – is not imminent or inevitable. It’s part of an effort to lower the heat,” Defense One reported, citing Milley and adding that Milley stressed a more realistic and less emotional approach is needed when dealing with China-US ties.

Milley clearly recognizes the predicament the US faces amid US politicians and media’s excessive hype of tensions with China. To some extent, he was saying that something has gone wrong in the US’ China policy, and the problem is mainly on the US side.

As a career soldier, Milley realizes when the US displays overly hawkish hostility against China, it goes far beyond the actual needs of American national interests. Thus, he made his point – the US military should not be dragged into a war with China for hysterical reasons, in other words, for the constant hype of unreasonable tensions, Shen Yi, a professor at Fudan University, told the Global Times.

Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen is on a visit to Central America with a planned stop-by in California and a scheduled meeting with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. US officers, think tanks, and media have been sparing no effort to stir up troubles about the Taiwan question long before the trip. They either constantly make speculations on the timetable of a possible cross-Straits war, or simulate war games on the possible American cost of such a conflict.

When American elites who have never fought in a war are obsessed with talking out loud about a military showdown, Milley remains sober. He is well aware that it is not journalists nor politicians who will have to fight on the front lines. And he knows it is not in the US’ interest to actually fight a war against China. For a career military personnel, it is more important to boost deterrence than actually joining a hot war.

More importantly, it is completely unrealistic for the US to confront both China and Russia militarily simultaneously. Milley is aware of the strength of American military power; thus, he knows that Washington should not provoke Beijing and Moscow at the same time. Otherwise, the US will simply wreck its capability to seek absolute military hegemony worldwide, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times.

Milley’s argument is objective and calculative. After calling for a cooling down of tensions, he said that he prefers the “speak softly, carry a big stick” tactic – lowering the rhetoric a little bit while making sure the US has an incredibly powerful military that is capable. And he agrees with calls for the US to send arms to Taiwan island as quickly as possible.

It means that despite the fact that the US still has a clear military advantage, such an advantage is no longer overwhelming. Hence Milley believes a military means is not an option before it has a sufficient advantage in the armed forces.

That’s the reason for ceaseless US arms sales to the Taiwan island – the US is not preparing to fight China; it is preparing Taiwan island to fight the Chinese mainland. The US won’t willingly sacrifice itself to help Taiwan secessionist forces, but it is willing to fight a proxy war, using the Taiwan island as a consumable or a pawn.

The US still remains the most powerful country on the globe, but its toxic political environment has been eroding its strength since the end of the Cold War. The toxic environment is what drives Milley’s concerns on whether the US’ might can be long-lasting.

China’s development and the US’ decline are not directly related. And the current era is no longer one in which one country can play a dominant role with purely military power. Benign competition can help both China and the US develop. If China becomes strong enough one day, it will be grateful to both its friends and strong competitors, including the US, Song said.

The US is too anxious and hysterical, because it has lost its way and is on the wrong path.

Bratwurst

Ingredients

• 1 pound link bratwurst
• 2 green bell peppers, cut into strips
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon basil

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
2. Cut the bratwurst into 1-inch pieces and brown well in the skillet.
3. Add the peppers and onions and sauté until cooked, stirring frequently.
4. Season and mix well.

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Within the past few hours today, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has agreed to a cut of one million barrels a day in oil production.   This comes just after Russia announced a cut of its own by 500,000 barrels per day.

These cuts will now drive UP the price of oil and, by extension, gasoline and Diesel fuel.

Since the illegitimate Biden regime here in the US has drained much of our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the regime is now UNABLE to counter this loss of daily production.

UPDATE 6:00 PM EDT —

The White House has reportedly responded to OPEC+’s decision to cut crude production by 1 million barrels/day by saying that “output cuts aren’t advisable right now,” adding that The White House is “focused on prices for American consumers.”

Recall too, Biden threatened the Saudis with “consequences” over last October’s 2 million barrel oil cut but then he took no action.

Let’s see if this new OPEC cut elicits any further response.

Hal Turner Remark: This is a squeeze play against us. They know our idiot in chief has already depleted our strategic oil reserves to artificially lower prices so and they know his options are now very limited. He either continues to deplete those reserves from an already dangerous level or prices are going up.

Best CHINESE SCIENTISTS Are Leaving The United States For China

https://youtu.be/JU5S22pbJgI

GT Voice: China is best safe haven; global investors shouldn’t miss out because of politics

By Global Times

For months, China’s swift economy recovery has been making headlines around the world, often portrayed as the only “bright spot” across a slowing global economy. But what does such a recovery look like? What does it mean for global investors? There was no clear, full picture, and there were some doubts, especially in foreign media.

But, a growing number of recent signs suggest that the pace of the recovery in the world’s second-largest economy is faster than many have expected. In March, the purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a gauge of factory activity, beat some economists’ forecasts and reached 51.9, well within expansion territory. What’s more, the PMI reading for the non-manufacturing sector jumped to 58.2.

And things may be just getting started. Following the two sessions, where China set an annual GDP growth target of about 5 percent this year, Chinese officials at all levels have moved swiftly to further speed up the economic recovery, with a series of policy measures. On Friday, Zhu Zhongming, a vice minister of finance, said China will step up fiscal support for the economy, including tax and fee reductions for businesses. The extended and optimized tax and fee cuts are expected to reduce more than 480 billion yuan ($69.9 billion) in costs for market players.

What’s more, various central government departments and local governments have also launched what appears to be a nationwide campaign to improvement business climate for businesses. Just over the past several days, provincial governments from Northeast China’s Liaoning Province to South China’s Hainan Province held special meetings for the effort.

All of this points to an optimistic picture for China’s economic recovery. Amid the growing signs of rapid recovery, the World Bank, in a report on Friday, raised its forecast for China’s growth by 0.6 percentage point to 5.1 percent in 2023. Some context will help better grasp the scale of China’s recovery this year. For the Asia Pacific, growth excluding that of China will slow to 4.9 percent this year, down 0.9 percentage point from 2022. For the world economy, growth will average 2.2 percent throughout the rest of the decade, according to the World Bank. So, from every aspect, China’s growth will be the bright spot for the world economy – and an ideal market for global businesses seeking growth.

And that’s not all. While China is on a stable trajectory toward recovery, advanced economies like the US and the eurozone are facing both significant slowdowns and the risk of financial and banking crises. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and some other banks in the US and the failure of Credit Suisse in Switzerland exposed the profound risks in the Western banking system. While Western officials have repeatedly claimed that a broader crisis is not imminent, investors are understandably jittery and in desperate need for viable options to cushion the risks in advanced economies. And where they could find such options? One word: China.

There is no shortage of fearmongering headlines pushed by the Western media reports about China’s economy. Their assertion is often based on hearsay or outright lies. They claimed that China is increasingly “hostile” to foreign businesses and many foreign businesses are abandoning the Chinese market. But they ignored the steadily increases in foreign investment into China, even during the toughest period of the epidemic. In 2022, foreign direct investment into China grew 6.3 percent to 1.23 trillion yuan. That doesn’t exactly look like a “mass business exodus” from China, does it?

Also, there are the ever growing calls for “decoupling” or “reducing reliance” from US and other Western officials, asserting that it is unsafe for foreign businesses to invest in China. But for any fair-minded person, it should be crystal clear which country is making it unsafe for cross-border investments. In a desperate attempt to preserve its shrinking global dominance, the US is picking fights, economic or otherwise, around the world. It is adopting protectionist policies at home to bolster its domestic industries. Externally, it is imposing unilateral sanctions on any country it deems to be unfriendly. Worse yet, it is now exporting risks of financial and banking crises to the world.

Many multinationals are fully aware of what is actually happening on the ground. And if there was any doubt about China’s continuously expanding market access and improving business climate for global businesses, face-to-face meetings with Chinese officials at two major forums – China Development Forum and the Boao Forum for Asia – should offer sufficient reassurance. For businesses around the world that seek win-win cooperation, don’t miss out on China just because of geopolitical ramblings in the US.

Old South Silken Peanut Soup

Ingredients

Soup

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 5 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock which is not traditional)
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

Garnish

• Dribbles of heavy cream
• Finely-minced celery leaves

Instructions

1. Sauté onion and celery in the butter until soft, but not brown. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds.
2. Stir in the stock a little at a time, whisking, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Puree, solids first, then whisk in peanut butter and cream until the soup is smooth.
4. When ready to serve, reheat (don’t let boil), then ladle into small bowls.
5. Dribble 1/2 teaspoon of cream in a pretty pattern, then sprinkle with minced celery leaves and finely crushed peanuts.
6. Serve immediately.
7. Serve hot as a first course.

Survivor of last week’s Tornados talks about his “Preps” and what went wrong

Nation Hal Turner 02 April 2023

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I found this story while surfing the web and thought it would be very relevant and helpful to my readers.  It’s from a guy who survived the Tornados in Little Rock, Arkansas this week.  Quick read . . .

My City Being Hit By A Tornado Taught A lot About The Limits Of My PREPS

Ok, so we live in Little Rock.

An entire swath of the city from basically the southwest toward the river just looks like a bomb went off.

Been without power since the Tornado struck our neighborhood, luckily for my family, our home was spared any significant damage. Though it was one of the scariest things I've ever been through. There is nothing like holding your wife and daughter in a pitch black bathroom while it sounds like a freight train is barreling through your entire world.

With that said we've been running off preps at the moment and I have learned a lot about things.

1) Bad things happen FAST. It was just a "normal afternoon" and lucky for us we were all home, but within the span of hardly anytime we went from tornado sirens, to all in the sheltered part of our home, to what sounded like the world was being torn apart outside, to no power, no cell service, no nothing within minutes. Having plans of how to get in touch or meet up should we have all been separated are non existent really and I need to make one and improve on that.

2)Ham radio was a lifesaver. Literally. Remember cell service went down instantly here. A tower was crumped like a pretzel and no one could call out or in. I was listening and talking on the 2M repeater here in town right before the storm after the warning went off with storm spotters. After the tornado moved on I quickly began checking on neighbors. Ingress and egress to the neighborhood was blocked by downed trees. Within minutes I was able to get a group of hams from close by and their friends and other neighbors with chainsaws to make quick work of cutting and moving them. This allowed for emergency services to get in quickly and rescue an elderly resident from her home who may have been having a heart attack. Without this kind of ability to quickly coordinate, void of grid comms, I don't know if that would have been so efficient. More people need to at the least their Technician license, and be active on simplex and their local repeaters.

3) You need more gas. I need more gas. I keep two 5 gallon NATO jerry cans USUALLY full. When I fill up our truck I will fill them up also, then have gotten into the bad habit of using that gas and not filling them up immediately. Bad mistake. I had to make a run, after the pandemonium, to a gas station with power. Not smart. This was a failure on my part. Never again will I be without gas on hand for my generator. Also adding two more jerry cans. Keep oil on hand too for your generator and the oil changed. Luckily I done so very recently.

4) Luckily for us the weather is quite pleasant, so our small generator need only run our fridge, freezer, etc. But we are heavily reliant on gas for our cooking and water. Should the gas lines be down (if they need repair) these service would not work. Need more public gas independent methods of doing this things. I have a small camp stove but with limited propane this isn't great. Adding keeping LP on hand and a camp shower and solar shower option.

5) There are VERY FEW PEOPLE PREPARED. It definitely made me aware of how after a few days without supplies people will be coming FOR YOUR SHIT. There is only a handful of people in my neighborhood with generators. We are being generous and allowing people to charge phones, laptops, etc. But at night, when all the lights were out and there was no cell service, It certainly made me aware that my whirring generator and the smell from my neighbors grill cooking steaks, would be a call for starving and desperate in times of need. Definitely makes one consider the bug in / bug out argument. I don't have a definitive response for that at the moment, just making notice. These leftist idiots sayings stupid shit like "why does anyone NEED an AR15?" Well that's why. Your shit will be at the least harder to take if you are well armed and able to defend against MULTIPLE attackers.

6) Candles Candles Candles. Flashlights are good but you need more candles. Buy a big ass pack of tea lights or a few. Buy a case. You need more than you think. Again flashlights are great, definitely headlamps are VERY helpful.

7) Should this event have happened in the bitter cold of winter we can heat our home with wood, and usually have plenty, had it been the 100 degree summer, this would really suck. A small window AC unit is probably a good investment to at least be able to keep one room comfortable. Buying one.

We now have cell service back, though power is still out. It is not estimated to be back on until very late this evening, thought he lineman working our area said that was itself a very optimistic window.

So far, no loss of life that I know of, which is surprising when you actually see the damage this tornado caused.

Godspeed. Stay prepared. Shit goes crazy in a snap. It's never the thing you see coming that gets you.

China and the United States: A Comparative Analysis of Their Balance Sheets

In recent years, China and the United States have emerged as two of the world's largest economic powers, with significant influence on global financial markets. As such, it is essential to take a closer look at their respective balance sheets to understand their economic strengths and weaknesses. In this analysis, we will examine the balance sheets of China and the United States, and compare their government, corporate, and household finances.

Government Finances:

In terms of government finances, both China and the United States have a significant amount of debt. China's national debt as a percentage of GDP stands at around 60%, while the United States' national debt is at around 107% of GDP. However, it is worth noting that China has a higher level of foreign reserves, which are around $3 trillion, compared to the United States' reserves of $121 billion. This indicates that China has a higher level of financial security in the event of a financial crisis.

Corporate Finances:

When it comes to corporate finances, China has a higher level of corporate debt than the United States. This can be attributed to the significant amount of investment made in the country's infrastructure and real estate sector in recent years. However, it is important to note that China's corporate debt is largely held by state-owned enterprises, which could pose a potential risk to the economy in the event of an economic downturn. On the other hand, the United States has a higher level of equity financing, with a more significant proportion of corporate financing coming from the stock market. This suggests that the United States' corporate sector may be more resilient in the face of economic challenges.

Household Finances:

In terms of household finances, China has a higher level of household savings than the United States. This can be attributed to the cultural differences between the two countries, where Chinese households tend to save a higher proportion of their income compared to American households. However, it is important to note that China's household savings are largely held in low-yielding bank accounts, which may not provide adequate returns over time. On the other hand, American households have a higher level of equity investments, which have historically provided higher returns over the long-term.

Overall, it is evident that both China and the United States have unique strengths and weaknesses in their respective balance sheets. While China has a higher level of foreign reserves and household savings, it also has a higher level of corporate debt held by state-owned enterprises. In contrast, the United States has a higher level of equity financing and a more significant proportion of corporate financing coming from the stock market. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each economy, policymakers in both countries can make informed decisions to promote economic growth and stability.

In conclusion, it is clear that both China and the United States have significant economic influence on the global stage. By examining their respective balance sheets, we can gain a better understanding of their economic strengths and weaknesses. As policymakers in the United States continue to navigate economic challenges, it is essential that they take into account the lessons learned from China's economic model to achieve long-term stability and growth.

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White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre was asked what the Biden regime was doing about countries switching away from US Dollars and using their own currency as settlement of foreign trade.  Her response was stunning . . . .

"Switching to national currencies is a violation of the rights of American citizens."

The White House then threatened with sanctions those countries that refuse the dollar in mutual settlements.

It’s already trending on social media:

So there you have it.  Countries around the world have, IN FACT, either stated their intention to cease accepting the US Dollar, or have already begun refusing the US Dollar.

The White House has now tacitly acknowledged it.

This is now a slow-moving train wreck for the United States.  Our federal government has abused so many countries with our “economic sanctions” and has done it for so long, that countries around the world have begun rejecting the US dollar as a means of payment for international trade.

If countries no longer accept the US Dollar, then the US Government has no means by which to impose economic sanctions.  The US Government becomes toothless against all those foreign nations.

On top of the economic sanctions abuse, that same US federal government has over-spent by so much, and run-up so much debt, that the world is rapidly losing faith that the US dollar will have __any__ value at all.

What this means for you and me here in the USA, is that hyper-inflation is already on its way.

Here’s why:

For almost 100 years, the US Dollar has been __THE__ currency for the world.   It has been the only reliable currency for everyone.

No matter what country chose to trade with any OTHER country, both countries knew that settling the trade in US dollars preserved the value of their trade and was a rock-solid measure of value.

In order to be able to smoothly carry out those foreign trades, central banks all over the world, kept a supply a US Dollars in their central banks, so trade could be settled.

As of right now, at least six point four TRILLION U.S. Dollars, are resting in the central banks around the world.

As more and more countries cease using the dollar, foreign banks will no longer need to keep those dollars in their central banks.

Those dollars will begin to come home to the USA.

As those dollars come home, the value of the US dollar, against foreign currencies, will begin to drop. (Because nobody will want the Dollars)

Now, we here in the USA don’t manufacture much of anything anymore.  Thanks to the corporate imbeciles who pushed us into becoming a “service economy” much of our manufacturing was shipped out to foreign countries.

Then, thanks to the other imbeciles who pushed “Free Trade” we removed Tariffs from foreign goods imported into our country.  The idea was sold to us by the “Free Trade” shysters who claimed that if the US dropped tariffs, then all other countries would drop tariffs and that would mean American-made products would be cheaper overseas, thereby increasing demand, thereby increasing American jobs.

THAT WAS A FRAUD.

The people pushing “Free Trade” had no intention at all of selling American-made products to more foreign countries.  What they ACTUALLY wanted was to ship American JOBS to foreign countries, use the cheap foreign labor, then sell those same products back here in the USA for the same high prices and without Tariffs!  That allowed the manufacturers to pocket the increased profits from using cheap foreign labor but still sell the same good here in the US for the same high price.

In the end, it was only American JOBS that got exported, not American products.

So we now see the result of the “double-whammy.”   Hit #1 was when we changed to a “service economy”.   Hit #2 was when we bought into the “Free Trade” lie which allowed corporate Boards of Directors to move manufacturing jobs OUT of the USA to pocket the profits from cheap foreign labor.

Which brings us back to the value of the US Dollar.  Since we don’t manufacture much here anymore, and have to buy MOST of the things we use from foreign manufacturers’, as the value of the dollar plummets, everything we need to buy will become FAR more expensive;  several hundred percent more expensive!!!

This is what YOUR members of the US House of Representatives, and YOUR members of the US Senate have done.  They have abused so many countries with the threat or actual application of economic sanctions, that those countries are now abandoning the US dollar AND, they’ve so over-spent that people worldwide now see the US Dollar as being UNRELIABLE and heading toward being worthless.

YOUR member of Congress caused this.

YOUR member of the Senate caused this.

When YOU cannot afford food and YOUR family is going hungry . . . or when YOU cannot buy the typical normal things that every family needs . . . .remember that when you see your members of Congress and the Senate on the street.

When you see them, hold them accountable right then and there.

China uses “Dual-chip Architecture” to counterattack USA, China doesn’t need to buy U.S. chips!

A little story

Hi <redacted>,

My feedback on your 10 questions was that I thought they would need to be reframed to a less complicated language.

A little of my own history, specifically because I recognized some years ago the war propaganda against China, I asked the Saker at the now frozen site if I could write a regular column on China.  That site was in existence specifically to fight the empire's war on Russia and as recent history unfolded, we saw the very same war on China.  It has been there for a long time but now only some years ago did it reach a prominence.  But I was outside the focus of the Saker's site and had to be careful and could not be too enthusiastic on China.  That was simply the norms of the site, and not anyone's shortcomings but lead to me to design the weekly articles as a magazine style and not too threatening to then existent propagandized minds.    

I knew we had to go broader, as the initial war on Russia was only a part of the development of the world and the war on China was equally and even actually more important.  This could not be done on the then existent Saker site, and this is why I opened globalsouth.co - for a broader view on our world and the process of multipolarization and a fair economic structure globally.   China is a massive part of that and a leader.        

Initially the China content was to say the least not welcome and I was beaten to a pulp.  This is what I learned:  

• Debunking takes too much time away from productive activities.  Your article quoted here I would handle simply as follows:  “This is a falun gong newspaper and that specific article repeats regularly, sometimes quoting organs are being taken from falun gong, and in other cases quoting organs being taken from the supposed ‘Uyghur concentration camps’ in Xinjiang.   And then I would add links like: – What is falun gong, -What is happening in Xinjiang  and other such appropriate or something that I had pre-developed.  Should the commentator come back with more gripes, without reading the background material, I could not be less interested because it is a waste of time to get involved in this granular level of bickering, trying to inform those that do not want to be informed.
• A clear understanding that I cannot, even on such a big site as the now frozen Saker site, do a great deal to change minds.  And this lead to …
• A surprise finding.  On those articles I started following the elephants that went walk-about, every week.  This lovely and emotional story engaged people and changed minds and hearts.  People would start asking me to please keep updating on the elephants.  People would start comparing how their country would have handled something like that.  And as the elephants walked, the China story grew.  Who would have thunk?
• At the end of the range of articles, the positive comments outweighted the negative comments materially.
• I took the direct feedback from the previous week’s articles, to design the content for the next week on the smaller magazine article mostly drawn from Godfree’s newsletter (and I am so grateful for that!) and a bigger article.  That worked and now, if I do a China article, there is no negativity.   I get email asking me to handle certain issues and it has changed to a net positive.  It is as if people, at least in our grouping, now are open to want to know, and not fight.  The minds have opened.

This personally designed process lead to major articles on say Governance or Economy or Technology, or Propaganda, and these were eventually tolerated on that site.  But it took time.   I had to swallow and tolerate comments such as "The Mad Han on the Saker Site probably eats baby organs for breakfast".     

We now have a problem in our fraternal sites.  Seemingly some Russian commentators are creating polarization in the Russian/Chinese relationship.  I just handled one of those and surprisingly I had some Russians write me to say ... High Time that someone said something!  

These commentators are following the western line.  

And took it back to their sites.  So far, I have not made enemies among the fraternal sites even with professional and respectful critique of this sore point.  Again, I won't change minds, but I find that many are now much more careful on how they phrase their issues.  We gotta be thankful for small mercies yes.      
    
So, to end, one has to decide what suits your own style.  In reality, I am not the savior of the west, their alt media, and their cockamamie ideas and propaganda about China.  The simplest question now is:  OK, you don't believe the propaganda about Russia, so, don't you think the story about China is equally propagandized and contrived in order to war against China?  

I personally am best placed to inform those that are already interested and willing to work at it, and in such a way build a network effect.  So far, I have not even one infographic developed, but I do have an extensive library for things like Free Tibet, or China is our Enemy, Tiananmen Square, the development of western propaganda,  or such topical issues. 

So, this is my own story.  A blend of encouraging those that are interested but know nothing, ruthlessly pruning those who want to bicker, giving people the information to go and do the debunking themselves and as such save myself time, and telling the positive story about China.

Again, if you want to develop something larger, I will of course help with dissimination, but so far, I have to follow what works for me and was developed on a site that was not fully friendly to this pivot and did not really believe that it needs attention.  Yikes, walking on egg shells.   

I hope I did not waste your time in relating this history.  In my heart, I am with you but real hard experience let me know that one has to labor and toil in your own garden almost peer-to-peer.  A large anti-propaganda and debunking campaign would have to be as large as the initial propaganda campaign to make even a dent.      

<redacted>

Trailer Park Boys I am the liquor ultimate edit

Highly Detailed Illustrations By Ilya Milstein

Ilya Milstein is a Milan-born, Melbourne-raised and New-York based illustrator that works in a pretty traditional way.

«I’m drafting all my work with blue pencil, then hand-drawing them with black ink on paper before coloring them in computer», he says.

More: Ilya Milstein, Instagram h/t: fubiz

Veruca Salt – Volcano Girls

The Melancholy of Dreams: Illustrations by Felicia Chiao

Felicia Chiao is an artist from California who sketches the life of a certain bald man. The little man is melancholic but sweet, and his existence is dull and sad, but his sadness is light and even cozy. Chiao’s illustrations suggest that she depicts the typical everyday life of each of us – drawn out like an old man’s daydreams.

More: Instagram, Patreon

Be Cool (10/11) Movie CLIP – That’s Not Gangsta (2005) HD

Opinion: ‘Most U.S. banks are technically near insolvency, and hundreds are already fully insolvent,’ Roubini says

Last Updated: April 1, 2023 at 8:06 a.m. ET First Published: March 31, 2023 at 7:05 a.m. ET

Trailer Park Boys Space Weed

Report: Israel Passes U.S. Military Technology to China

"From personal knowledge, I know that the IDF has had a very long and deep relationship with the PLA, a lot of it being under the radar. They took off their uniform, put on a different hat, and visited each other (doing a lot of things behind closed doors) when it was not kosher to do so."

Secret U.S. missile and electro-optics technology was transferred to China recently by Israel, prompting anger from the U.S. and causing a senior Israeli defense official to resign.

The head of defense exports for the Israeli Defense Ministry resigned after a U.S. investigation concluded that technology, including a miniature refrigeration system manufactured by Ricor and used for missiles and in electro-optic equipment, was sent to China, according to the Israeli newspaper Maariv.

Another Israeli news site, Aretz Sheva, reports the U.S. is concerned the technology could ultimately find its way to Iran, which last year sought to buy military equipment from China for its nuclear program.

Ricor, on its company website, identifies a number of defense programs using its miniature cryo-coolers, including UAVs, airborne enhanced vision systems, missile warning systems, hand-held thermal imagers and thermal weapons sights.

The Maariv report identified the Israeli defense official as Meir Shalit, and said he apologized to U.S. officials on a recent visit.

Israel has a long record of getting U.S. military technology to China.

In the early 1990s then-CIA Director James Woolsey told a Senate Government Affairs Committee that Israel had been selling U.S. secrets to China for about a decade. More than 12 years ago the U.S. demanded Israel cancel a contract to supply China with Python III missiles, which included technology developed by the U.S. for its Sidewinder missiles, The Associated Press reported in 2002.

You Ain’t Woman Enough To Take My Man (2005) HD

Sponge – Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)

Program shows CIA behind Wikipedia entries

Indonesian Chicken Breasts

You can make this with whole chicken breasts or with boneless ones. The advantage of the boneless is that they are lower in fat and easy to slice and work well on a serving platter. The advantage of the whole ones is that they have more flavor.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons best quality curry powder
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut in half

Instructions

1. Make a marinade from the first 5 ingredients. Pour it over the chicken and refrigerate for several hours, turning it occasionally to make sure every part of the chicken is coated.
2. Heat the grill and remove the chicken from the marinade.
3. Grill the chicken and the bell pepper for about 15 minutes, using the leftover marinade as you do so.
4. To serve, cut chicken and the pepper diagonally into 1-inch slices.

Sneaker Pimps – 6 Underground (Official Music Video)

Indonesian Pork Skewers

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup prepared mustard
• 1/4 cup light molasses
• 2 tablespoons ginger preserves or orange marmalade
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 (1 1/2 pound) lean boneless pork, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 medium pineapple, halved lengthwise, cored and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into strips

Instructions

1. Combine the vinegar, mustard, molasses, ginger preserves and ginger in a small mixing bowl.
2. Alternately thread the pork cubes, pineapple slices and pepper strips on 12 (6-inch) metal skewers, leaving about 1/4 inch between pieces.
3. Brush with the molasses mixture.
4. Grill the kabobs on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium-hot coals about 12 minutes or until no pink remains and juices run clear, turning and brushing with molasses mixture after 6 minutes.
5. Heat the remaining molasses mixture and pass with the kabobs.

‘Medicine God’ in Central China found guilty, but faces no punishment for illegal trading of epilepsy medication

Quote of the day

China’s Proctor & Gamble Politics

Godfree Roberts

Chinese democracy resembles Procter & Gamble more than Pericles of Athens.

Hundreds of times every day an arm of government asks people their opinion, solicits solutions to their revealed problems and test-markets the most promising. VC Robin Daverman explains:

China is a giant trial portfolio with millions of trials everywhere: innovations in everything from healthcare to poverty reduction, education, energy, trade, and transportation are being trialed in different communities. Every one of China’s 662 cities is experimenting: Shanghai with free trade zones, Guizhou with poverty reduction, twenty-three cities with education reforms, Northeastern provinces with SOE reform, pilot schools, pilot cities, pilot hospitals, pilot markets, pilot everything. Mayors and governors, the Primary Investigators, share their ‘lab results’ at the Central Party School and publish them in State-owned media, their ‘scientific journals.’

Significant policies usually begin as ‘clinical trials’ in small towns, where they generate test data. If the stats look right, they’ll add test sites and do long-term follow ups. They test and tweak for 10-30 years, then ask the 3,000-member People’s Congress to review the data and authorize national trials in three provinces. If those trials are successful, the State Council (China’s Brains Trust) polishes the plan and returns it to Congress for a final vote. It’s very transparent, and if your data is better than mine, your bill gets passed, and mine doesn’t. Congressional votes are nearly unanimous because reams of data back the legislation.

This allows China to accomplish a great deal in a short time because your winning solution will be quickly propagated throughout the country. You’ll be a front-page hero, invited to high-level meetings in Beijing and promoted. As you can imagine, the competition to solve problems is intense.

Local governments have a great deal of freedom to try their own things as long as the local people support them. Various villages and small towns have tested everything from bare-knuckled liberalism to straight Communism.

Critics who label China’s Congress a ‘rubber stamp’ miss the point of that institution: to vote based on data, not rhetoric or promises. Congresspeople visit mature Trial Spots, survey local opinion, audit statistics, calculate budgetary impacts, and debate national scalability and political viability. Though few trials even reach the provincial level – where they can affect one-hundred million people – even failures contribute to the trove of data that shapes legislation.

Trial Spots, and the data they generate, are one of China’s most remarkable political strengths. They allow legislation to be rolled out confidently and rapidly and, largely thanks to them, most Chinese say the country is run for their benefit rather than for particular groups. Harvard’s Tony Saich, who conducts his own surveys says, “Ninety percent of people are happy with their government–and getting steadily more optimistic”.

Candy – Bila cipt. Nyonk Kunci.flv

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