We had no idea how great our life was before the United States became a psychopathic shit-hoe. Here’s some meme’s to underline this truth.
First one…
Don’t be bitter, but do try to appreciate what we all have lost…
Today…
** FLASH TRAFFIC ** URGENT** U.S. MAKES DIRECT NUCLEAR THREAT TO RUSSIA
The President of the United States has just made a direct nuclear threat to Russia:
Hal Turner Snap Analysis
This was outright stupid. Just plain dumb. There’s no other way to describe it. Let me explain what President Trump just did.
Russia knows, and has known for about 50 years, that the United States has nuclear-armed submarines, out at sea. Russia also knows that, as of this very minute, we have FOURTEEN (14) such submarines.
Seven (7) of those “Ohio-Class” submarines are equipped with Twenty-Four (24) TRIDENT I missiles that EACH carry eight (8) MIRVed “W76” nuclear warheads. That’s 192 nuclear bombs per submarine. Times seven such submarines.
MIRV stands for Multiple Independent Re-Entry Vehicles. So one missile, carrying 8 warheads can independently target eight separate hits.
Each W76 warhead has an explosive yield of one-hundred kilotons (100kt)
The other seven “Ohio-Class” Submarines carry far more punch.
The most-recent seven such submarines each carries twenty (20) “TRIDENT II – D5” missiles.
Each missile can carry up to twelve(12) Model W88 MIRVed nuclear warheads.
That’s 240 nuclear warheads per submarine; times seven such submarines.
The W88 warheads carry an explosive yield of 475 kilotons each.
Russia knows all this; it’s public information. It’s no secret.
Russia knows several of those submarines are out at sea 24 hours a day, seven days a week, forever. THey are there for “Deterrence.”
Similarly, the United States knows that Russia has nuclear-equipped submarines out at sea 24/7/365. It’s no secret. Russia has let this be known throughout the Cold War.
They put those subs out to sea for “Deterrence.”
So both sides have this capability. Both sides have had it for decades. Both sides can blow the living shit out of each other from submarines alone, never mind air launched missiles, or (God Forbid) silo launched missiles on land.
So if both sides KNOW the other side has this capability, then what did President Trump do when he posted what he said above?
He made clear he is moving such subs into strike range of Russia.
Now, truth be told, most of those submarines were already capable of hitting Russia.
The first seven Ohio-Class subs have TRIDENT I missiles which have a range of 4,000 nautical miles. So they can launch from pretty much anywhere in the northern Hemisphere, and hit pretty much anywhere in Russia – but it may take two such subs to cover the entire country of Russia because it’s so big. So Trump made clear he’s positioning two — presumably one for eastern Russia, and another for western Russia. Hence, Trumps threat covers the entire land mass of Russia.
But those other seven, later-model, Ohio-Class subs, have a different missile: The TRIDENT II-D5. Those subs, each carrying 240 warheads at 475kt each, have a much greater range: 6100 Nautical miles. So they can be ANYWHERE in the northern hemisphere and the top third of the southern hemisphere, and still hit anywhere in Russia.
By making this threat today, Trump has told Russia he is no longer “Deterring” Russia – he is intentionally moving subs into strike position . . . . . but they were pretty-much ALWAYS in strike position, no matter where they were.
So this is EITHER an attempt at intimidation (which won’t work) or it is an announcement of our intention to attack.
I doubt the latter, but how will the Russians see this?
If both sides already knew the other side has subs with nukes within range to strike, how will Russia take today’s announcement by Trump?
If they decide it is a statement of US intention to strike, will prudence on their part cause them to strike first?
THAT is how close we now are to actual nuclear war. Over fucking Ukraine.
This is insanity.
Here is what the judge has to say about this…
Holy FUCK.
What was the bravest thing you ever did in a job interview?
I was being interviewed for a job that wasn’t ideal for me, but it was a decent job during the Reagan recession and I needed the money.
I don’t have a “sales personality.” I don’t walk into a room with my hand out, ready to be shaken, and a big, artificial “sales smile” on my face.
So the interviewer said, “we’re looking for enthusiastic, outgoing people for our team. Are you a go-getter?”
I said, “no, I’m not.”
They were not expecting that, so before they could respond, I continued:
“I don’t have a typical sales personality. I’m serious minded, deliberate, and detail oriented. However, I did sales at my last job, a retail specialty store for camping and backpacking. I was one of the top sales people because I know the merchandise, I use the merchandise, and I listen carefully to what customers ask so I can determine what they actually need, and those are the products I steer them to. By doing that I get repeat customers, who keep coming back for new gear or upgrades, instead of trying to push someone to buy the highest-priced merchandise that might not be best for their needs, and they are disappointed and never come back.”
I got the job.
Were you reprimanded by a judge while in court? What happened?
I was representing a grocery store chain in a trip and fall case (my first jury trial where I was the first chair attorney) The plaintiff claimed to have tripped at the store and suffered a leg injury requiring surgery. The store said she had stepped up on a platform and tripped herself coming down.
Anyway, I had asked the plaintiff for all her medical bills well before trial. The attorney produced the initial treatment bills but nothing else. At trial, he tried to introduce the bills for the surgery, but did not have anyone from the doctors offices to verify the invoices, as required by the rules of evidence. The plaintiff’s attorney handed me a stack of invoices and a adding machine tape total which was about $50,000 more than he had presented. I objected to the bills.
The Judge, who I knew was a good friend of the plaintiff attorney, went ballistic. He released the jury early for lunch and then, on the record, proceeded to shout at me, calling me hyper technical, and saying that young lawyers (which I was) like me are the reason that trials and cases take so long because we clog up the court system with all of our unnecessary motions and arguments. The judge then told me “I’ll give you 5 minutes to review the bills and stipulate to their admission, or else”
I sat and considered my options for about 30 seconds and then asked the other attorney with me, who was just their as support, to bail me out of jail if the judge held me in contempt. I then stood and told the judge “with all due respect, I would not be representing my client to the best of my ability if I stipulated to bills I have never seen. He could have given them to me earlier, as required, or he could have the doctors here to authenticate them, but I cannot in good conscience agree to introduce bills that I have not seen.” The Judge then said, “lets put the objections on the record”.
I told the court, for the record, why the bills should be excluded. The plaintiffs attorney stated why he thought they should. The Judge then said “Arthur (the plaintiff’s attorney) I agree with you and believe that these bills are accurate and genuine, however, there is one problem, he’s (meaning me) right and you’re wrong, the bills cannot be admitted.”
Later, when the store manager was testifying, the Judge was rude and loud with him, and asked questions the plaintiff’s attorney did not (which is rarely done in a jury case), and implied that he (the Judge) did not believe the stores version of events.
When the case went to the jury, they ruled completely in favor of store. I spoke to the jurors and they said “First, we didn’t understand what happened until the store employees (our star witness testified by a videotaped deposition and did a great job) testified. We believed them instead of the plaintiff. Second, we could tell that the Judge was doing everything he could to help the plaintiff and we heard him shouting at you earlier, so we thought he was just trying to help the other lawyer because their case was so bad.”
Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 1 (3 pound or more) chicken
- 3 quarts water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons broth
- 2 large raw potatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup grated onion
Instructions
- Boil chicken in water until tender and comes off the bone easily. Put chicken and broth in a large kettle (or Dutch Oven), add salt and more water, enough to make a full three quarts again.
- Mix egg and broth. Add flour and mix until stiff enough to roll out. Put on floured board and roll thin. Let set for 20 minutes to dry.
- Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares. Add to broth and chicken which is boiling hot. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Add potatoes and the onion. Cook over slow heat until all are tender.
- Serve hot with biscuits and a tossed salad.
How far behind is India in comparison to China?
A Country goes through different phases of development:-
Phase I – Individual Sustenance
Phase II – Social Sustenance
Phase III – Economic Sustenance
Phase IV – Technological & Military Sustenance
Phase V – Complete Development or All Round Development
Here is Chinas performance :-
Individual Sustenance – Achieved in 1972 when all Chinese had enough to eat and drink despite economic poverty
Social Sustenance – Achieved in 1994 when more than 80% Chinese were Literate and had access to education and tolerable healthcare
Economic Sustenance – Achieved in 2016 when Extreme Poverty was eliminated and Income Inequality began to start lowering due to rapid middle class growth
Technological and Military Sustenance – Targeted to be Achieved between 2035–2040, with fully Indigenous core technology and fully modernized Military
So all round development is actually possible between 2040–2050 when China could be a Developed Country
Here is Indias performance
Individual Sustenance – In Progress, not yet achieved fully, with a lot of hunger everywhere thanks to inefficient food distribution
Social Sustenance – In Progress, not yet achieved fully, with 80% Literacy not yet achieved and access to affordable healthcare still being to less than 15% Population
Economic Sustenance – Not even started, Income inequality brutally high, 10 Crore extremely poor people and 23 Crore poor people
Military and Technology Sustenance – Pipe Dream
Overall Development – 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
As you can see India hasn’t fully achieved a single phase of development and has been flailing along
China has fully completed three phases and is well on the way with the fourth phase be it the indigenous Ne Zha 2 or Deepseek or the Sixth Generation Fighter
China did everything beautifully, phase by phase
First took care of feeding it’s people
Next helping educate them and give them social services
Next bring some economic prosperity and help lift people from poverty
Now after all this, focusing on Technology, Space, AI, Robotics and Military Strength.
India meanwhile did nothing for starving people, rising poverty, providing quality education of the majority and bring any end to economic inequality
The Result
India FAILS EVERYWHERE
Tejas – Failure
Indigenous Missiles – Failure
Robotics – Failure
Technology – Failure
Military – Failure
Drones – Failure
Vaccines and Advanced Medicines – Failure
Talk & Gaumutra & Religious Backwardness – 1100% Success!!!!
When you can’t feed your people properly, you certainly can’t dream of becoming the next China
So right now India has not even successfully finished one Phase
China has finished three phases and is more than halfway through Phase IV
It seeks unlikely India is even interested in finishing Phase I and II and III
It’s policies don’t depict the same at all
So the answer is – India is in a different direction than China and will likely never reach beyond Half of Chinas current level in its entirety
The Absolute Degeneracy Of Modern Women!
At Least There’s No HOA
Submitted into Contest #245 in response to: Set your story in a world where astrology and the movements of celestial bodies deeply impact the lives of inhabitants.… view prompt
Pat Royson
In a few minutes, his neighbor’s property, now only a slow-moving speck hardly visible against the spackled backdrop of deep space, would swing close enough for Rick to count the steps on John and Linda Barker’s front porch.
Twice a year, the Barkers’ off-kilter orbit brought their residence within spitting distance, though he’d be hard pressed to get anything, let alone spit, through the thick airtight dome encircling his home.
The dome’s interior displays served as the window to outside, producing an image so clear and realistic that Rick, after setting the image to Blue Sky Over Landscape, very nearly suffered a concussion bumping into it. Today, he’d set the image to Real-time Patchthrough so he could watch the passing of the Barkers with his own two eyes.
Five years prior, Rick, having grown tired of reading through the immense amount of mail he’d often receive–mail which certainly outnumbered the distant stars, and, to Rick, were of a similar significance–did not read the notice that detailed the addition of a new orbiting body, and was surprised when a blip on his radar, one he’d never seen before, traced an uncomfortably close trajectory.
But all worry vanished when old John Barker flickered the lightswitch in his two-story classic, flashing a message of neighborly peace and good humor. The next pass, Rick waved from the seat of his ancient Cruber like a madman, and the rest was history. Nowadays, it wouldn’t feel like June without a wave from old John.
The speck that was John’s farm grew into a fleck. After a moment, Rick could make out tiny patches of color from John’s exterior display. A few minutes later, there was their lawn, a fresh and rich green patch, and then the white siding and red roof of their house, and then the gaps of green in the spaces of their white picket fence. That’s where he’d always see John, both hands on a picket, at least until he spotted Rick, and then he’d lift an arm and wave a wave a lover would be jealous of.
But John wasn’t there. Rick squinted at the fenceline surrounding the house, at the beautifully kept lawn, at the porch with two rocking chairs, at the windows, glowing with the light of a loving home.
There, in one of the top windows, something obscured the warmth. A dark shape moved across in a flash as if a leak in the roof had allowed the emptiness of space to pour past the window and flood the top floor. But that wasn’t true. If there had been a breach, the dome would have made it clear. Rick had seen more than one breached dome in his time, and the brilliant lights reminded him of fireworks, only he could see them across a hundred thousand miles. Maybe more.
Rick removed a terminal from his pocket, navigated to the display controls, then connected to the nearest panel. It meant he’d have to approach the Edge. Heebie-jeebies be damned, he’d been looking forward to showing old John his new Spyder.
The section of display Rick had connected to broke from the pattern of its neighbors and magnified the view of John’s farm. Just as before, John was nowhere to be seen. He magnified further, zooming toward the window in which he’d seen movement.
Another flash of black. This time, Rick could tell it was a person, though he’d assumed that from the start. This person, however, moved far too quickly. John and Linda were old, and this shadow moved with the quickness of youth. No, Rick was awfully sure, the person moving about John and Linda’s house was neither John nor Linda.
In the five years they’d been waving to each other, Rick and John had only spoken a few times, and it had mostly been pleasantries. Rick would tell his wife that he’d be out by the Edge to see his old buddy, and Rose would roll her eyes, tell him to just give the man a call, for goodness sakes.
Rick flipped his terminal to Communication and dialed John’s home phone. It rang a total of three times before John and Linda’s voices spoke in tandem, “We’re the barkers! Bark at the tone!”
Rick pocketed the terminal and took in a deep, deep breath. The Barkers never mentioned any family, any friends, any common visitors. Drop-ins were as unlikely as a thunderstorm, save for the religious types that came calling now and again. There was only one thing to do: the neighborly thing. And he had to do it fast.
Rick let out the breath all at once as he pulled the terminal back out of his pocket. He dialed Rose. “Howdy, sweetheart,” he said as he always would. “I’m headin’ out for a bit. Got a fritzy screen.”
Rose sighed. “Be safe, Rick. Dinner’s in thirty.”
Rick hung up and removed his suit from the barn, put it on, then keyed his intentions. The airlock door hissed as it opened, and Rick entered the tiny room. He ran the final suit diagnostic before initializing depressurization. There was another hiss, then silence took over. The opposite door opened and suddenly he was staring at the expanse of space as if it were the gullet of one of those space eldritches, or whatever they called them. He pushed out over the Edge.
Floating came easy, mostly because Rick’s suit did all the work. He barely felt the vent chambers open on his back, the compressed gasses bursting out, the sudden increase in speed. The only indication that he was moving faster was his shrinking home and the slowing approach of John’s.
His suit, unable to trust the dexterity of a human being, gripped a bar on the outside of John’s airlock and pulled him close. The airlock door opened on its own and Rick’s suit pulled them inside. After another series of hisses, Rick was standing on grass.
He removed his suit and set it next to the airlock door. The air was fresh, clean; indistinguishable from his own, aside from the scent of rain-washed grass which, Rick knew, could be achieved via terminal command. For some reason, Rose had never been keen on the fragrance, instead insisting on Ocean Spray or Wooded Retreat.
Rick unlatched the picket gate and made his way up the porch steps–three, as he’d always counted–passed the antique rockers with their floral cushions colored vibrantly as if they’d just been purchased, and approached the door. He pressed the doorbell and could hear the two-tone ding dong that had been popularized long, long ago, yet somehow persisted. Old John was old school.
There was a shuffle inside. The deadbolt clicked and the knob turned. It was Linda.
“Oh, hey, Rick. We didn’t see you come up.”
Rick decided they must not have been near a terminal. Rose would sometimes set hers aside, too. To ‘escape’ she’d say. “Howdy, Linda. John home?”
“Uh,” Linda said. “He’s inside, but he’s really busy.”
“Oh,” Rick said. “Everything okay? I could’ve sworn I saw somethin’ movin’ around. I didn’t mean to interrupt your entertainin’.”
“Nope!” Linda said, suddenly bright. “Just me and John. It was nice to see you. Give my love to the misses.”
“You got it, ma’am.” Rick moved across the porch, past the two rockers, down the steps, one two three, and back to his suit. He put it on and sat in the grass, arms on his knees, chin on his arms, looking out at the sky. Sparkling stars widened into starbursts. Rick’s suit warned him of an irregular discharge within its helmet, then played a soothing, hopeful melody as he waited for the drone to carry him home.
I remember hearing people saying Canada has better work/life balance, better benefits even if most of your pay goes towards tax. What’s right and what isn’t? Any other things to know besides the weather?
I remember hearing people saying Canada has better work/life balance, better benefits even if most of your pay goes towards tax. What’s right and what isn’t? Any other things to know besides the weather?
Well here’s my story you can tell me in a comment if my “balance” is better than yours.
My wife and I were just recovering from near bankruptcy over a condo deal that went south. I was making major consolidated payments towards my creditors that would get me completely out of debt in five years, so that was expensive. But I had a good job making about 70k yearly.
We had moved from the city to a nice little house in a tiny village about four years previously. We had half an acre of lawn so we could finally get a dog or two. My wife found a vacant building on main street, yes the village actually has a “main street”, and opened a small café. After two rough years things were looking better for the third summer.
Then my wife lost her voice for a week. Nothing serious she insisted. After a week with a cough she had to take a day off and my wife NEVER took a day off. I finally convinced her to see the doctor. I will never understand her reluctance but at the time I passed it off as a remnant of her American culture. She still saw doctors as an added expense that we didn’t need right now.
The doctor brushed it off as some bug and said if it didn’t clear up in another week or two she should come back. Well it didn’t clear up but before I could get her back to the doctor we ended up in the emergency room one night. She was having trouble breathing, chest pains, I thought she was having a heart attack.
It wasn’t a heart attack, it was cancer. Because of the tumor’s location it took a couple of tries to get a biopsy and when they finally had one the news went from bad to worse. Stage four lung cancer, prognosis, terminal.
We were given a time line of 6 months without treatment or up to 18 months if she wanted to undergo chemo and radiation.
So there is the stage set. Terminal cancer, I’m in debt up to my eyeballs and she has a single person struggling business just starting to make a buck.
She closed the café and we were down to one salary and most of that is already spoken for.
But we are in Canada so there is no concern over the medical bills because there aren’t any.
Now I want to be clear. Canada or more accurately Alberta’s socialistic healthcare system was treating a patient who was already deemed terminal. And not just making her comfortable to die, they were going all out with round after round of chemo, plus aggressive radiation any time we got a tumor large enough to target. All for someone going to die. There were no death panels, no penny pinching accountants. Every decision about treatment was made by my wife in consultation with medical experts only.
In Canada she also had the option of assisted suicide because she was terminal. We discussed that, and then again every night. And every night she chose to spend another day with me until the choice wasn’t hers anymore.
Now the question was about work life balance and my whole balance had just been thrown in the crapper.
After I informed my superiors at the office I had the following discussion with the V.P.
He asked if I wanted to be at work or home with my wife. And I replied that as mine was the only income now I had to have a paycheque.
To which he replied “That’s not what I asked you. I asked if you would rather be at home. Don’t worry about your paycheque it will always be there.
I really couldn’t believe the generous offer and couldn’t in good conscience accept it. so I kept working but anytime I needed to be off for doctors appointments or chemo treatments I was free to take the day.
My boss the V.P. kept checking up on me and when I mentioned one time that without her income and with my debt, money was a bit tight. Next thing I knew the company held a fund raiser and quietly slipped me $800.00
The company also insisted I take my three weeks vacation even though I had taken way over 15 days off for medical appointments. So we arranged with the doctors a break in treatment and my wife and I went on a trip to see all her family. They are spread all across the USA. And then we hit the Jersey shore with her daughter and the grand kids. The shore was my wife’s favorite vacation spot as a kid. We put over 8,000 miles on our truck. It was a very memorable but very tearful trip.
Then it was back to work for a couple of months but our year and a half life line was running out. My wife became less and less mobile and finally became bed ridden.
Alberta Health does provide some help at home. A young girl visited three times a week for 4 hours each visit. she could cook, clean or take care of my wife to give me a break. They explained that she would do whatever chores we wanted her to just to free up more of my time. I will say the “system” and it’s “agents” always took time to check on me too. If you have never provided 24 hr care to someone you have no idea how hard it can be. Just to illustrate, my wife needed her pain meds injected every four hours. You don’t do two, end your eight hour shift and go to bed. You live on four hours shifts for four months. I can honestly say there were time I didn’t know if I was giving the 2 AM injection or the 2 PM injection. All I knew was the alarm went off so it was time to administer the medications. We rigged a bell system from her room to mine so I was on call all the time.
Four months, never more than 3 hours sleep at one time. Try it some time.
By now we are done with hospitals and treatments. My wife had come home for the last time. Alberta Health provided to us at no charge, all delivered, set up, and later removed.
- Motorized hospital bed.
- Oxygen equipment.
- Training for me to administer all her pain meds.
- Wheel chair.
- Walker.
- Wheeled commode.
- Hydraulic patient lifter.
- I.V. stand.
- Staff made house calls.
- Our family doctor who had been involved all through the battle.
- Oncologist.
- Practicing nurses. She said call at any time so when I had an emergency at 2 AM in my remote village she was there in less than 30 minutes.
- Respiration therapist.
- Physical therapist.
- The pain team, (Major heroes)
- My pharmacist drove 50 miles to find me a refill when he ran out of morphine unexpectedly.
Canada has a program called “compassionate leave.” When she needed 24hr care I was able to take up to 6 months off work, collect my salary from the government, and it is guaranteed that my job will be there when I return. So I did.
It was only four months but due to Canada’s generous social net, and compassionate leave program I got to spend the last four months of my beloved wife’s life at her side. She has been gone four years now but I can still remember those bedside conversations best of all.
Thank you Canada.
Now, if that same situation hit you, how would your employer and government support you in your time of need?
Trump says he wants denuclearization talks with Russia and China
My Comments: During his first term, Trump renegotiated the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced NAFTA and was signed on November 30, 2018, before taking effect on July 1, 2020.
This deal was presented as a major trade victory, ensuring fairer terms for the U.S.
However, in a stark reversal, Trump has now unilaterally and arbitrarily imposed tariffs on both Mexico and Canada, disregarding the very agreement he once championed.
His capricious and petulant approach to trade policy highlights his unpredictability and lack of reliability, sending a warning to the world that any deal made with him can be easily undone at his whim…
What was a loophole that you found and exploited the hell out of?
Ever gone to the movies and spent well over $10 on only a bag of popcorn and soda? Well here’s a loophole that’ll give you free popcorn every time you go to the theater!
Recognize one of these goodies?
Yes, that’s a large bag of popcorn. At many theaters, you can get a deal where you buy this size once and have free refills for the rest of the night.
Now once you enter the snack bar, don’t wait in line just yet; instead go towards the trash cans and stealthily look for a tossed, large bag of popcorn and snatch it. Don’t get caught.
Before I gross you out with my “hack”, no you won’t be eating out of a disgusting, “from-the-trash” container.
Simply avoid this by tearing the side of the bag.
Now wait in line and ask for a refill with a new bag since your old one is ripped. Most of the time, the employee would be happy to give you a new bag.
Now walk away with your unethically obtained, free bag of popcorn.
Enjoy your movie 🙂
Shorpy
Where was Mao Zedong from? Was he from a rice-farming peasant family in a tiny village?
Yes, that’s basically it.
Mao Zedong’s paternal ancestors can be traced back to the 10th son of King Wen of Zhou (circa 1112 BC–1050 BC).
Later, a notable figure in the family was Mao Bao (?-339 AD), a general during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, who drowned in a battle across the Yangtze River.
In modern times, it’s easier to trace Mao’s ancestors to Mao Taihua, who was a “baihu” (a military officer in charge of a hundred soldiers) under Zhu Yuanzhang (1328–1398), the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
Mao Taihua was stationed in Yunnan, a position similar to today’s company commander, overseeing 112 soldiers.
Due to war and a significant population decrease in Hunan, Zhu Yuanzhang relocated people from different regions to fill the void, and Mao’s ancestor settled in Shaoshan, Hunan during the early Ming Dynasty, which is the hometown of Chairman Mao.
Mao’s mother, Wen Qimei, was a descendant of Wen Tianxiang (1236–1283), a revered patriot in Chinese history.
His “Song of Righteousness” is a poem every Chinese child is taught to memorize.
I myself deeply enjoy copying this poem, and at times, I am so moved that I end up crying.
Interestingly, during the decisive battles that determined the future of China, involving millions or even tens of millions of soldiers, the opposing commander was Chiang Kai-shek, whose first wife was surnamed Mao.
Yes, you guessed it, she was a distant relative of Mao Zedong.
So, in a way, Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek were relatives.
Because of the Chinese tradition of keeping family genealogies to record history, it’s not difficult to trace one’s ancestry.
I can easily trace my lineage back 24 generations. The tomb of my 24th-generation ancestor is in my hometown.
If one day I go there to pay respects and see a stranger doing the same, there’s no need to ask — they are certainly my relative.
In fact, if I were willing to spend more time and effort, I could trace further back.
This 24th-generation ancestor only moved to my hometown at that time, but his brothers either stayed behind or migrated to other provinces.
Some of them still keep older genealogies.
Mao Zedong’s father, Mao Shunsheng, was a poor farmer.
His father, Mao Zedong’s grandfather, was not good with money and sold the 15 acres of land passed down through the generations.
This left the Mao family in poverty.
During the Taiping Rebellion, Zeng Guofan recruited soldiers from all over.
Mao Zedong’s father decided to enlist.
No one knows exactly how many years he served, but according to Mao Zedong’s own recollection, “He served in the military for many years.”
Mao Shunsheng was very frugal. Instead of wasting his military pay, he saved every bit of it. After retiring and returning home, he used his savings to start a small business, selling pigs and rice.
Over time, he accumulated enough money to eventually buy back the 15 acres of land his father — Mao Zedong’s grandfather — had sold.
So, Mao Zedong did not come from an impoverished farming background.
His family owned 15 acres of land, which could be considered as being part of the small land-owning class.
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, people were classified into various social classes, and landlords and capitalists were viewed unfavorably.
In particular, landlords, especially large landlords, were seen as targets of revolutionary struggle.
However, Mao Zedong’s social class was that of a middle peasant to a wealthy peasant, not a landlord.
The key difference between a wealthy peasant and a landlord, according to regulations, is that a wealthy peasant still works the land, while a landlord does not.
Mao Zedong’s father not only worked the land but worked diligently, so he should not be classified as a landlord.
Is there an always-empty business in your town that you’re convinced is a front for some crime outfit? If so, have you witnessed anything that could prove it?
This place
It’s been there for years.
- Open by appointment only.
- There is no parking within blocks.
- It gets a fresh coat of paint and new signage every few years, so it’s not abandoned.
- I have driven past at all times of day and night and I’ve never seen anyone in there.
How do they make money? If it’s by doing house calls, why continue to pay for a physical building and maintenance?
It doesn’t make sense.
Here is another one
- It’s tucked away, not even visible from the road.
- No foot traffic
- Who gets shoes repaired in 2025?
And this
I’m sure there are some people who get pictures framed, but is there really enough business to support 7 picture framers in a city with a population of around 200,000?
There are many businesses in my town that I can’t work out how they stay open.
I don’t have any evidence that they are being used for less than legitimate purposes, but that would explain their existence.
Backdoor in NVIDIA H20 AI GPU’s for China — Can USA Tech Be Trusted
No surprises here. …
Two young boys, probably waist-high, rang the doorbell to offer snow removal services. My husband answered the intercom and said he would do it.
You all know how I feel about kids, so I immediately ran downstairs, called them back, and asked how much they wanted for the job. They excitedly told me it would be $10. I told them to have fun, and they got right to work with great energy on a task that neither I nor my husband wanted to do, haha.
They showed up with their tools, cleared our sidewalk, pounded out the rugs, and chatted about how they were going to watch Spider-Man when they got home. I decided to give them double the asking price because they could easily have stayed warm in the house. When they saw the $20, they got so excited that they continued shoveling nonexistent snow, created a perfect edge, and pounded out the rugs again, haha. Finally, they knocked gently on the door to let me know they were done and to make sure I was satisfied.
Sir Whiskerton and Ratso’s Film Noir Finale: A Tale of Shadows, Saxophones, and Stolen Cheese
Ah, dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale of shadows, intrigue, and one very dramatic rodent who decided to turn a missing cheese wheel into a full-blown Film Noir mystery. Today’s story is one of over-the-top dialogue, moody lighting, and a cat who proved that sometimes, the simplest answers are hiding in plain sight. So, grab your trench coat, light a cigarette (metaphorically, of course), and let’s dive into Sir Whiskerton and Ratso’s Film Noir Finale: A Tale of Shadows, Saxophones, and Stolen Cheese.
The Case of the Missing Cheese
It all began on a foggy evening, the kind of evening where the barnyard seemed to hold its breath, and the shadows stretched long and dark across the ground. The air was thick with tension, broken only by the mournful wail of a saxophone played by Ferdinand the Duck, who had decided to add some “atmosphere” to the proceedings.
Ratso the rat, ever the brooding antihero, stood under the flickering light of a single bulb, his trench coat flapping in the breeze. “It’s a tough world out there,” he muttered, his voice gravelly and world-weary. “A world where a cheese wheel can vanish without a trace. A world where a rat’s gotta do what a rat’s gotta do.”
Echo, his tiny gray-and-white kitten girlfriend, stood beside him, her bright green eyes wide with drama. “Oh, Ratso,” she purred, her voice dripping with Film Noir flair. “This case is colder than a barnyard in December. But together, we’ll crack it wide open.”
“Open!” Ditto the kitten echoed, popping up from behind a hay bale.
“Not now, Ditto,” Ratso said, flicking his tail. “This is serious business.”
The Investigation Begins
Ratso and Echo began their investigation, their dialogue as sharp as a cheese grater and twice as dramatic. “The cheese was here,” Ratso said, pointing to an empty spot on the feed bin. “Now it’s gone. Vanished. Like a dream in the morning light.”
“Light!” Ditto echoed, his little tail flicking.
“Quiet, kid,” Ratso growled. “This is no time for echoes.”
The animals gathered around, their faces illuminated by the eerie glow of the flickering bulb. Doris the hen squawked nervously, her feathers ruffled by the tension. “What in the name of cluck is going on?!” she cried.
“Cluck!” Harriet echoed, tilting her head.
“Head!” Lillian added, fainting dramatically onto a pile of straw.
The Saxophone Serenade
As the investigation continued, Ferdinand the Duck provided the soundtrack, his saxophone wailing mournfully in the background. “This case is like a melody,” he quacked between notes. “Full of twists and turns, highs and lows. And cheese. Lots of cheese.”
“Cheese!” Ditto echoed, his eyes wide.
“Not now, Ditto,” Ratso said, his voice tinged with frustration.
The Over-the-Top Clues
Ratso and Echo uncovered a series of clues, each one more dramatic than the last. A trail of breadcrumbs led to the barn, where a single feather lay on the ground. “A clue!” Echo said, her voice trembling with excitement. “But what does it mean?”
“Mean!” Ditto echoed, his tail flicking.
“It means,” Ratso said, his voice low and gravelly, “that we’re dealing with a bird. A bird with a taste for cheese.”
The animals gasped. “A bird?!” Doris squawked, flapping her wings. “But who?!”
“Who!” Harriet echoed.
“Echoed!” Lillian added, still on the ground.
Sir Whiskerton Steps In
As the drama reached its peak, I decided it was time to intervene. “Ratso,” I said, flicking my tail, “perhaps you’re overcomplicating things. Let’s take a step back and look at the facts.”
“Facts?” Ratso said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Facts are for amateurs. This is a case of shadows and secrets, of cheese and corruption.”
“Corruption!” Ditto echoed, his eyes wide.
“Not now, Ditto,” I said, smirking. “Ratso, the cheese isn’t missing. It’s right there.”
I pointed to the feed bin, where the cheese wheel sat in plain sight, partially hidden by a pile of straw. The animals blinked in confusion. “But… but how?” Ratso said, his voice trembling.
“Sometimes,” I said, flicking my tail, “the simplest answers are hiding in plain sight.”
The Moral of the Story
As the animals reflected on the day’s events, the moral of the story became clear.
The moral of the story, dear reader, is this: Sometimes, the simplest answers are hiding in plain sight. Whether you’re solving a mystery, facing a challenge, or simply trying to find a missing cheese wheel, it’s important to step back, take a deep breath, and look at the facts. Overcomplicating things only leads to confusion and chaos, while simplicity brings clarity and peace.
A Happy Ending
With the case solved, the farm returned to its usual state of peaceful chaos. Ratso and Echo, though initially disappointed, admitted that their Film Noir adventure had been a lot of fun. Even Ferdinand, though his saxophone serenade had been cut short, agreed that the evening had been memorable.
As for me, I returned to my favorite sunbeam on the barn roof, content in the knowledge that I had once again saved the day. The cheese was found, the drama was over, and all was right in the world.
And so, dear reader, we leave our heroes with the promise of new adventures, new mysteries, and hopefully, no more missing cheese wheels. Until next time, may your days be filled with laughter, love, and just a little bit of feline genius.
The End.
Can DeepSeek be retrained so that it no longer incorporates CCP censorship?
No
DeepSeek doesn’t incorporate CPC censorship but rather Chinese Caution
It doesn’t discuss too much Politics which can become controversial
For instance if you ask a question when Taiwan will reunify with China :-
This isn’t propaganda because if it was, Deepseek would happily answer questions on how Taiwan would reunify with the Mainland or see that their best way forward is reunification
Deepseek is built on the traditional Chinese caution and disdain for politics and geopolitics
Deepseek being the product of quant prodigies, focuses on Math and Logic rather than on Creative stuff or Geopolitics
So i doubt you can retrain Deepseek
Chinese are built to never discuss politics or indeed anything that does not directly concern themselves or their families or their development
You cant convert a Chinese into an American unless you are at least 3–4 generations off
Zoe the Zombie’s First Day of School
Submitted into Contest #279 in response to: Write a story from the POV of a zombie, mutant, or infected creature.… view prompt
Bridgetta Tomarchio
As Zoe walked to school, she felt something fall off. Oh no! It was her arm again! Zoe quickly bent down to pick it up and put it back on. She smiled nervously. I hope today goes well, even if my arms keep falling off!
When Zoe arrived at school, the doors creaked open, and she shuffled inside. The classroom was full of all kinds of monsters: vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches, and even a little dinosaur! They all turned to look at Zoe as she walked in, her arms dangling a little loose and her legs wobbling.
Zoe’s heart thudded in her chest. What if they don’t like me? she thought, but just then, a little vampire boy named Vinnie smiled and waved.
“Hi, I’m Vinnie! Are you new here?”
Zoe smiled back, a little shy but excited. “Hi, Vinnie! Yep, I’m new. It’s my first day at Monster Elementary. I’m Zoe the Zombie!” She giggled nervously, hoping her wobbly arm wouldn’t fall off again.
Vinnie’s pointy white teeth shone and glistened as he smiled, and while they were a little scary, his friendly eyes made Zoe feel at ease. “It’s nice to meet you! This school is pretty cool and everyone is very nicel,” he said, his voice warm and welcoming.
Zoe just smiled back, her nervousness melting away.
Mrs. Mummy, the teacher, floated over with a kind smile. “Welcome, Zoe! We’re so happy to have you in class today. Let’s all say hello to Zoe, everyone!” she called.
The other monsters all said hello, and Zoe waved shyly. Just as she did, her arm plopped off with a loud thud, flying across the room! Zoe froze in embarrassment, her cheeks turning a little green. Oh no, not again! she thought, quickly scrambling to pick up her arm. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her, and her heart raced.
“I guess my arms are a little wobbly today,” Zoe said, trying to laugh it off as she awkwardly reattached her arm. She felt so embarrassed, hoping no one thought it was weird.
Mrs. Mummy floated up beside her with a gentle smile. “Don’t worry, Zoe. We all have things we’re working on. See, everyone here is special in their own way!”
Zoe smiled, feeling a little braver. She looked around and noticed some of her new classmates. There was a small dinosaur named Danny, who looked a little nervous.
Danny raised his hand. “I’m still trying to stop myself from eating others when I get hungry!” he said, his tail swishing back and forth.
Mrs. Mummy nodded. “That’s okay, Danny! We all have challenges. It’s important to learn control and make good choices.”
Across the room, a werewolf named Willa raised her hand too. “I’m trying to control my temper,” she said. “Sometimes I get so mad, I start howling and growling!”
Mrs. Mummy smiled at Willa. “It’s great that you’re working on that, Willa. Learning to control our emotions is part of growing up.”
In the corner of the room, a little cat named Callie seemed to be having trouble sitting still. She kept changing from human to cat every few seconds! “I just can’t stop changing!” she said, looking frustrated. “I turn into a cat whenever I’m feeling super happy or super mad!”
Mrs. Mummy chuckled. “It’s important to learn how to manage our emotions, Callie, so you can stay just the way you want to be.”
And last but not least, there was a little witch named Wendy, who was supposed to lead the class in storytime. She looked nervous and her skin slowly turned bright green. Wendy trembled as she held up the book, her voice shaky. “Oh no! I’m so scared to talk in front of everyone!” she said, her bright green skin growing darker with her nerves.
Mrs. Mummy floated over and patted Wendy on the back. “It’s okay, Wendy. We all feel nervous sometimes. Would anyone like to volunteer to help Wendy with storytime?”
The room went silent. No one volunteered. Wendy’s green face looked even paler, and her hands shook more. Zoe, who was sitting next to Wendy, looked at her and saw how upset she was. Zoe thought for a moment, then raised her hand with a smile.
“Well, I guess I could teach you the Zombie Shuffle,” Zoe said with a grin. “It’s not a story, but it’s a cool dance!”
Wendy looked at Zoe in surprise, her green hue fading slightly as she smiled. “You’d really help me?” she asked, her voice still shaky.
Zoe nodded. “Of course! It’s easy, and I know we’ll have fun.”
Zoe stood up and started to demonstrate the shuffle. She shuffled one foot, then the other, her arms flopping up and down. “Just like this!” she said, and the other monsters giggled and joined in.
Danny the dinosaur stomped his feet and gave it a try. “This is fun!” he said, laughing.
Willa the werewolf did her best shuffle, though her tail wagged back and forth as she tried to stay in control. “I like this! It helps me feel calm!”
Callie the cat, who was in the middle of shifting from human to cat, managed to do a half-human, half-cat shuffle, which made everyone laugh. “I’m still learning to stay one form,” she giggled, “but I think I can do this shuffle!”
Wendy, who had been nervous just moments before, now joined in with a big smile. Her green color had faded entirely, replaced with a happy blush on her cheeks. “Thank you, Zoe!” she said. “I feel so much better now!”
Zoe beamed. “It’s easy! You just have to keep moving and have fun!”
The whole class was laughing and shuffling together, and even Mrs. Mummy joined in, floating around with her bandages flapping. Zoe felt so proud that she helped everyone feel better. She might be a zombie, but she had something special to share.
After the dance, Mrs. Mummy clapped her hands. “That was wonderful, Zoe! You’ve helped us all today, and you showed us that we can work through our challenges with a little help from our friends.”
Zoe smiled. “I think being a zombie is pretty awesome after all!”
The rest of the day was full of fun learning. Zoe and her classmates worked on counting, played games, and shared snacks. Zoe learned that being different was something to be proud of, and that everyone was learning and growing in their own way. And the best part? Zoe had made lots of new friends.
By the end of the day, Zoe was tired but happy. “That was the best day ever!” she thought, shuffling out the door with her new friends.
“See you tomorrow, Zoe!” Vinnie called.
“Goodbye, everyone!” Zoe waved, feeling proud of all the fun things she had learned and shared that day.
When Zoe got home, she couldn’t wait to tell her parents about her first day. “Guess what, Mom and Dad? I helped lead the Zombie Shuffle at school! And I made lots of friends!”
Her parents smiled proudly. “We’re so proud of you, Zoe. You’re learning and growing, just like everyone else. Being yourself is the best thing you can do.”
Zoe snuggled into bed, feeling content. “I can’t wait for tomorrow!” she whispered as she drifted off
to sleep. “I’m Zoe the Zombie, and I’m learning to be my best self!”
The End.
Has an animal ever alerted you to a potentially dangerous situation?
So, I had this cat, Miriah, when I lived in a with roommates in a two-story house. She was really smart. If a housemate didn’t want her in their room, they usually only had to tell her once, at most twice, and she wouldn’t go in when they’d leave the door open.
I was gone for a month once, helping my mom after my father died. When I got back, my housemate told me that one day, Miriah came running up the stairs, stood outside of her room, and started meowing. My housemate just thought she was missing me, so she said a few words of assurance, then ignored her. But Miriah wouldn’t shut up (she wasn’t a very vocal cat usually) but stayed in the doorway, not entering. My housemate finally got up and went to the door. As soon as she did, Miriah started running up and down the stairs. Up and down up and down. Whenever she’d stop, she’d start meowing again. My housemate finally followed her downstairs.
Halfway down the stairs, my housemate remembered that she had left a kettle on the stove. By the time she got to the kitchen, the kettle was white-hot, scorched from all the water boiling out, and the handle, made of wood, was cinder-red smoldering, close to igniting.
The next time I took Miriah to the vet, I told him that story. He said, “I’ve heard about dogs doing that…”
Miriah was from the local animal shelter. The year after that happened I was volunteering at the shelter’s annual fundraising event, and I told one of the management staff that story. She had me write it up and send to her with a picture of Miriah so she could put it in the SPCA newsletter. She titled it “Kitty Firefighter.”
I have other stories about Miriah like that. But that was the best. Damn good cat. She was with me for nearly twenty years.
American’s First Time in Germany (Döner, Food/Drinks, Store, Neighborhood, Train)
How will Beijing ensure that Moscow will not betray China, given the US-Russia talks?
- How long will Trump be in power? Whatever he promises to Russia is good for 4 years. There’s no way Russia would choose a 4 year pass, however nice it may be, over its eternal neighbor China. Because geography dictates that China and Russia are stuck together forever, on earth at least.
- If the US abandons Ukraine completely, drops all sanctions on Russia, or even disbands NATO (unlikely), it would still not reach the level of China-Russia relationship. China never sent weapons to Ukraine or put sanctions on Russia or joined NATO to start with. What’s more, China is a long term buyer of Russia natural gas. Is the US ever going to be buying Russian gas? Why would Russia betray China for something worse?
There’s no reason for China to be worried at all about the US-Russia reapproachment. In fact, China welcomes it, as express by Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson and China’s foreign minister Wang Yi in his meeting with Lavrov.
Famous Pennsylvania Dutch Sticky Cinnamon Buns
Ingredients
- 1 package dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 cup milk, scalded
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour, divided
- 3 tablespoons soft butter
- 1/2 cup chopped raisins
- 2 tablespoons currants
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped citron
- 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Soften yeast in warm water and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add milk to sugar and salt. Mix and cool to lukewarm.
- Add 1 cup flour and mix until smooth. Stir in yeast. Add remaining flour mixing well. Knead dough on floured board until smooth. Put in greased bowl, grease top, cover with towel and let rise in warm room until double.
- Punch down dough, and roll into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with the softened butter and spread with mixture of raisins, currants, citron, the 1/4 cup brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up like a jellyroll and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Lay the slices in a buttered 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Cover and let rise until doubled.
- Sprinkle top with the 3 tablespoons brown sugar.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.
Attribution
Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book
Japan
In Tokyo, the capital of Japan, a man got into a taxi. Due to the language barrier, he couldn’t say much, except for the name of the institute he wanted to go to. The taxi driver understood, nodded, and respectfully opened the door for the passenger to get in, which is part of their culture.
As the journey began, the taxi driver turned on the meter, then after a while, he turned it off, and later turned it back on again. The passenger was puzzled but remained silent due to the language barrier. When he reached the institute, he told the people welcoming him, “First, ask the taxi driver why he turned off the meter for some time during the trip.”
When they asked the driver, he replied, “I made a mistake along the way. I missed the turn I was supposed to take, and the next U-turn was quite far. Due to my mistake, we had to travel an extra two to two and a half kilometers. During that time, I turned off the meter. I cannot charge the passenger for the distance that increased because of my mistake.”
Scientists FINALLY Unlock a Chamber Inside Pyramid of Giza That Has Never Been Opened, And It’s Bad
What are the images that show that Brazilians are natural engineers?
01 – If parking in a large space is already difficult, imagine this garage!
02 – New method that prevents insects from entering the water tank… and from opening it too
03 – Don’t ask how or why, we don’t know either!
04 – A great way to question the theory that says two bodies cannot occupy the same space at the same time
05 – This staircase is great… if you’re a climber, of course!
06 – No space for a garage? Problem solved! But it’s worth remembering that the idea may not be such a good one…
07 – And speaking of garages and bad ideas…
08 – When the project changes midway
09 – Not even the Egyptian pyramids are shrouded in as many mysteries as this construction
10 – Maybe the handrail will improve it!
11 – Not even physics can explain it
12 – And let’s continue trying to decipher the concept of this construction…
13 – The question that everyone wants to know: how long will it stay whole?
14 – The perfect pillars for those who love to make things difficult
15 – A 2-in-1 construction: here the pillar is also the ground floor of the house
16 – At the very least, this house represents a challenge to be studied.
17 – The purpose here is to reach…?
18 – Adhesive tape has 1001 uses, but keeping columns fixed is definitely not one of them.
19 – Reinventing all possibilities without harming the population
20 – “Each person does a part of the work, and then we put it together and present it”
21 – Now imagine climbing these stairs at night
22 – Execution of a work? No, a balance test!
23 – Why support the walls, right?!
24 – With the planning and techniques employed, this “foundation” can be considered a work of art
25 – Well… the designer of this staircase should be fired immediately
26 – After so many architectural absurdities, here is a solution for short people… it’s the only explanation we found for this “feat”
Love the 70s pics. Born in 71. Early memories were celebrating the bicentennial in 76. Monthly visits to pizza hut with my aunt and brothers. Always rode in the back of pick-ups.