Camping in China is quite different than in the United States.
Sure, there are rural areas where you can get in your four-wheel drive and go off-road, pop a tent, and make a fire. But since China is so dense, this tends not to be all that common, well at least not in the Southern Guangzhou area. Here, the camping is more organized.
On the beaches near Shenzhen (dameisha, and shameisha), you can rent a tent (or bring your own), and camp there overnight. Meanwhile, all the comforts of home are nearby. Bars, restrooms, showers, BBQ, tables, chairs, and fire circles.
Yup, it’s living in the tent minus being primitive.
They just put up one near my “ghost city” complex.
You take the highway road (well, it’s a road. Eight lanes, but still a typical Chinese road) and there is a paved cement area where a bunch of BBQ vendors cook chicken, fish, steaks and mutton all night. And behind the fence are tent areas where you can camp out. Just like the picture above.
Nearby are shower buildings, restrooms, and cement roofed pavilions for group fun.
Ah. It’s fun and cool. But, decidedly not the same thing as camping in the “outback” or in the ‘States.
China. Unique.
And well… different.
Today…
The US and the UK are pushing for total war on all fronts
The Iran-Israel clash has served as a catalyst for renewed escalation by Western leaders, and World War III cannot be ruled out
The events of recent weeks have produced a sudden jolt in Western politics. From a lethargy that was starting to creep into US and western discourse over the Ukraine war, Iran’s attack on Israel suddenly seemed to have had the effect of awakening Ronald Reagan from his grave and leading to a surge of neo-conservativism on steroids, on both sides of the Atlantic.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson did a complete 180-degree U-turn and proclaimed himself a “Reagan Republican” passing a series of aid bills for astronomical overseas spending that he had otherwise blocked for months, as he denounced an “axis of evil.” Along with that, a proposed TikTok ban bill came out of nowhere too and was quickly signed into law.
Then the UK decided to devote its largest ever aid package to Ukraine, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warning of an “axis of authoritarian states” and amplifying ideologically combative rhetoric.
At the same time, it was then revealed Biden had sent 300km long range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine despite having pledged not to do so for years, fearing escalation.
Finally, EU President Ursula von der Leyen has suddenly dramatically increased economic warfare on China, pushing the European Commission to open probes on scores of Chinese exports.
Where exactly did all this come from?
It’s almost as if the US and its allies seized upon the tensions between Iran and Israel in order to “whitewash” their slate and double down on a series of objectives they are otherwise losing public support for, including the war in Ukraine, but also Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
One has to wonder if the Israeli attack on the Iranian compound in Damascus, which provoked Tehran’s response, was deliberately staged, coordinated and planned for this purpose. It served the mutually convenient goal of letting both Prime Minister Netanyahu and Western governments off the hook for whatever opposition they had otherwise faced.
It should be abundantly clear now that the current powers that be, in London and Washington, have absolutely no intent of letting up on the wars they have provoked, while also pushing for a potential third one with China, and seem indifferent to the consequences, even if for example, the Israel-Gaza war is shattering the West’s claims of moral superiority.
In each case, the stakes are very high, Western foreign policy at large has taken on a very zero-sum and ideological character which bemoans the loss of hegemony, and seeks to uphold it at all costs. It is reactionary to the extent it does not have a vision for improving the world, but wants to take back the world to the way it was. It is a sense of entitlement and privilege that wants to suppress an emerging multipolarity.
Because of this, it has become impossible for Western leaders to ever consider the concept of compromise in these respective theaters, and they refuse under any circumstances to make concessions which could be deemed strategic. This has produced a position where the only outcome they are willing to accept in Ukraine is what they deem “the defeat of Putin,” and have been subtly escalating ever since, edging ever closer to the point where a “proxy war” becomes a direct one for all intents and purposes.
NATO military advisors are already on the ground, and Ukrainian attacks are being guided by NATO intelligence or even coordinated by British admirals.
The media in the West, especially in Britain (there is more dissent in the US) are effectively in war mode. The BBC amplifies non-stop Ukraine propaganda, pushing any claim that will help Kiev irrespective of its empirical worth or evidence, and all voices of dissent have been shut down. It seems evident that the decision may have been made to risk a full-on war with Russia, rather than to consider any negotiation scenario.
Thus, the shockwaves from the Iran-Israel saga have been used to pursue a new and sudden round of escalation on every front, which can have only been bolstered by the prospective elections looming in both the US and UK.
Because of this, it is fair to say that the world faces a more dangerous and uncertain outlook than at any point since the end of World War II.
This current crop of Western leaders are not pursuing a more restrained and calculated mindset, as seen for most of the Cold War, but an aggressive and evangelistic one that does not prefer stability but affirms hegemony as an absolute right, thus more resembling a pre-1914 world.
Because of this, we should draw the conclusion that Western leaders are not truly seeking to avoid war, but are prepared to embrace it if necessary. The British military establishment and the media have long been making noises about conscription.
In the US, if Joe Biden wins re-election, we can assume that he will unapologetically escalate on every single front. World War III is no longer a dramatized specter of farfetched panic, but an actual possibility that should not be ruled out.
Baked Chicken German Style
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 8 ounces egg noodles, cooked and drained
- 3 cups cooked chicken, diced
- 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 teaspoons paprika
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt butter in large saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in flour and stir for 3 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in broth and milk. Reduce heat, simmering until thick, about 10 minutes.
- Blend in lemon juice and seasonings.
- Combine cooked noodles and half the sauce, tossing gently to blend. Place in the bottom of a buttered 2 quart casserole. Top with chicken and remaining sauce.
- Combine Parmesan cheese and paprika. Sprinkle over casserole.
- Bake until bubbling and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Americans Are Running Out Of Money
The problem we have is because Most people always taught that” you only need a good job to become rich ” . These billionaires are operating on a whole other playbook that many don’t even know exists.
Why do some people plead poverty when they’re not actually poor?
The wealthiest person I ever worked for was a lawyer whose home had a three-car garage and a swimming pool. He owned the house, his office building, his luxury cars, and his boat free and clear. His children all had late-model cars, and their college educations were paid for by trust funds.
Since my job included balancing his checkbooks, I knew that both his business and personal accounts carried about a $50,000 balance at all times (this was 30 years ago). He never once had to put off a doctor visit or medical treatment because he couldn’t afford it–and because of a pre-existing condition, he couldn’t get health insurance and had to pay all his medical bills out of pocket. Every month he paid his credit card bills in full. He and his wife sometimes drank Dom Perignon for breakfast. When he died, in addition to all his other assets he left almost $2 million in cash.
My husband and I were both employed full-time, sometimes did have to put off doctors’ appointments for lack of funds, and rarely were able to pay our credit card bills in full. (If one of our kids needed a doctor, we’d take them, pay with plastic if we had to, and worry about the credit-card balance later.) To me, then, my boss seemed as rich as an oil sheikh. Yet he constantly insisted he wasn’t rich.
Years after I had left his employ, I finally figured him out: my boss wasn’t comparing himself to wage slaves like me, he was comparing himself to other rich people; and unless you’re Jeff Bezos, there’s always someone richer than yourself. Not that my boss ever claimed to be poor, but it’s the same principle: you probably know someone who has more money than you do, so you’re going to feel, if not poor, then poorer by comparison.
‘Integrated Deterrence’ Means Provoking China
In its most recent National Defense Strategy, the U.S. Department of Defense declared a policy of “integrated deterrence” against the People’s Republic of China, its primary “pacing challenge.” The document defined “integrated deterrence” as:
“…working seamlessly across warfighting domains, theaters, the spectrum of conflict, all instruments of U.S. national power, and our network of Alliances and partnerships. Tailored to specific circumstances, it applies a coordinated, multifaceted approach to reducing competitors’ perceptions of the net benefits of aggression relative to restraint. Integrated deterrence is enabled by combat-credible forces prepared to fight and win, as needed, and backstopped by a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent.”
As was the case with Russia vis-à-vis Ukraine, a policy of deterrence through strength has only made war in Southeast Asia more likely—with myriad recent examples.
On March 23 a Chinese Coast Guard vessel fired a water cannon at and allegedly rammed a Philippine vessel as it attempted to resupply a grounded ship on a reef in the Spratly Islands. This was just the latest in a series of similar clashes.
The Spratly Islands are a cluster of tiny reefs, shoals, and islets in the South China Sea. They are claimed by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The vast majority of the American public has no idea that they even exist, nor do they care who owns them.
However, because the United States and the Philippines have a mutual defense treaty, Americans are obligated to send their sons and daughters to kill and die if Philippine forces come under attack there (or anywhere). State Department Spokesperson Matt Miller confirmed this in a March 23 statement about the incident:
“The United States stands with its ally the Philippines and condemns the dangerous actions by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea on March 23…The United States reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft—including those of its Coast Guard—anywhere in the South China Sea…”
In the case of the Philippines, integrated deterrence means more than just maintaining a mutual defense treaty. In the past year alone, the United States has pledged to fund the construction of a new Philippine-American port near Taiwan and has gained access to four other Philippine military bases. The United States has also conducted joint naval patrols with the Philippine navy and furthered their forces’ interoperability with joint military exercises that sometimes include Japan and Australia. The United States has also encouraged Japan and the Philippines to sign a Reciprocal Access Agreement, which would allow the two nations to deploy forces in each other’s territory. Japan already has such an agreement with Australia.
The U.S.-Philippine defense treaty and its accompanying policy emboldens Philippine President Marcos Ferdinand Jr. to be more aggressive in his territorial and maritime disputes. In turn, Sino-Philippine relations have deteriorated.
On December 20 of last year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo, that “China-Philippines relations are at a crossroads,” referring specifically to the nations’ naval clashes in the South China Sea. Yi further warned that China will “definitely safeguard its rights” and “respond resolutely” to provocations. Yi specifically identified Philippine collusion with the United States and its regional partners as a source of contention.
For its own part, Japan has also clashed with Chinese forces over territory that holds absolutely no interest for the average American. The Senkaku islands are yet another series of rocks that the American public neither knows nor cares about. Despite this justifiable apathy, Americans are treaty-bound to sacrifice their children to enforce Japan’s claims to these tiny islands in the East China Sea. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed as much in October of last year .
The United States’ partnership with Japan is more intimate than with any other country on Earth. Over 53,000 American troops are stationed in Japan at approximately twenty-three installations. Furthermore, since its effective disarmament after World War II, the United States has gradually fostered Japan’s military redevelopment. In 2022, Japan announced that it was increasing its military budget by 56% and would acquire U.S.-produced Tomahawk missiles capable of striking the Chinese mainland. This should be cause for concern because Tomahawk missiles are nuclear-capable .
Next month, the United States and Japan are expected to announce a plan to restructure their forces’ interoperability. The plan will allow Japanese forces to coordinate with U.S. Forces-Japan instead of with Indo-Pacific Command, which is based in Hawaii. Although the specific details are currently unclear, the change is promised to be the biggest upgrade to the countries’ mutual security pact in “60 years.” It is openly aimed at North Korea and China.
Integrated deterrence with Taiwan has seen American Spec Ops deployed as military advisors to Kinmen, a small group of islands controlled by Taiwan. The islands are located just miles off the coast of mainland China. These “long term” deployments will see the advisors training Taiwan’s amphibious forces in preparation for a war against the mainland.
The scandalously provocative deployment is just the latest in a series of American policies that have sought to make Taiwan a grenade in China’s throat. In 2022, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi took an ill-advised junket to Taipei. China responded by shooting missiles over the island and simulating a blockade against it.
Last year, the United States deployed 200 troops to Taiwan, the largest American deployment to the island since 1979, when the U.S. officially recognized Taiwan as being part of China. Last year, the United States increased its weapon sales to Taiwan and even began financing the transfers and providing some arms free of charge.
These transfers violate Chinese-American agreements—especially the Third Joint Communique , through which the United States declared its intention to cease arms sales to Taiwan and agreed not to provide the island with more arms than China, either quantitatively or qualitatively.
Aside from the Spratly Islands, the most inconsequential territorial dispute in which the United States has embroiled itself concerns a patch of land at the top of the world.
In 2020, four Chinese and twenty Indian soldiers died when a melee ensued in Arunachal Pradesh, a state located in the Indian Himalayas that is claimed by both India and China. After the clash, the United States signed an intelligence-sharing agreement with India that would allow Indian forces to use American satellites to track Chinese troop movements in the disputed area. This intelligence was used by the Indians during a subsequent clash in 2022.
Just last week, the State Department issued a statement backing India’s claim to the disputed area, drawing China’s ire. Both India and China are nuclear-armed states.
These four recent examples of America’s “integrated deterrence” against China each involve territorial disputes that do not concern the United States and are of no consequence to its people. Each showcases examples of confrontational and provocative American behavior. Knowing they have American support, our allies and partners are emboldened to act recklessly. Instead of causing Chinese forces to back down, our actions only draw warnings and contempt from Chinese officials.
If the policy of “integrated deterrence” were indeed deterring China, we’d likely see a decrease of confrontational incidents with Chinese forces. That is not the case. Furthermore, it is not enough to argue that “integrated deterrence” is working because war has not yet broken out—U.S. support for Ukraine “deterred” a war with Russia until it didn’t.
It is not in Americans’ best interests to risk war between their country and China over obscure territorial disputes and shipping lanes in the South China Sea. Since our strategic partners and allies have been building up and integrating their militaries with each other, they are certainly capable of negotiating on their own from a position of strength.
1 Hour Of FRUSTRATED Women With The Drizzle, DRIZZLE
Our lead software engineer is the best at what he does but he is only available in working hours even if we need him for an emergency matter. What should I do about him?
I have experienced this kind of attitude. When I was younger, I would spend all my waking time working, even when I was only being paid for 8 hours.
Eventually, I kind of burned out, and I realized that I was missing too much of life, too much of my children growing up. So I stopped working extra hours all together. For a while, no amount of extra pay was worth it.
Your employee *is not* obligated to your company, for hours you do not pay him for. He agreed to give you his time for the work day, and you agreed to pay him for his time. Why would you ask him to give you something for nothing? Would your company give away it’s products for nothing?
If you want him available after hours, pay him extra, enough that he agrees to take on the extra work. It’s that simple. But if you want good work, then mitigate what you ask of him, and promote a work-life balance that is healthy.
In the end, why should he respect your time, if you do not respect his?
What are the most useful points about body language?
- Do you know that if a person starts fixing him/her self in front of a person, then there is a good chance that he/she likes him/her.
- If you like a person, you learn things quickly while working with them.
- Do you know that men touch their face when they feel uncomfortable, and women touch their hands, throat, clothes and hair.
- If there is a change in a person’s behavior and behavior on seeing you, such as unnecessarily shaking hands or talking loudly, then understand that he definitely has some feeling for you.
- If a girl looks at you from a distance and pretends to see you somewhere else as soon as she comes near, then understand that she likes you.
Today’s daily Shorpy
People Have STOPPED PAYING THEIR BILLS!
The United States is “at the edge”.
Real GDP growth 1.6%. Everyone is getting the “wake up call” People don’t really have the money.
Ukraine update
Almost six thousand foreign mercenaries have been eliminated in Ukraine since the start of the special operation
October 22, 2022. Relatively fresh graves were discovered near Lisichansk, but this is not a pet cemetery, as it might seem at first glance. The graves of these “animals” indicate that they did not deserve another burial.
It’s surprising that they somehow managed to bury the mercenaries with dog nicknames. Apparently, the cult of American mercenaries was unshakable for the Ukrainian Nazis. Or they simply did not have time to tell the Ukrainian fighters that in neighboring settlements, during the retreat of the troops, their brothers, on the orders of the Kyiv command, simply burned about fifty Poles to hide traces of the presence of a foreign illegal contingent. Somewhere we have to put those who were stabbed to death in an alcohol and drug stupor, shot in the back during an argument or trying to retreat. An autopsy will show.
It can be assumed that such burials are not an isolated case.
In total, starting from February 24, 2022, the number of “soldiers of fortune” who arrived in Ukraine amounted to 13,387 people, 5,962 mercenaries were killed.
USA: 1113 arrived, 491 destroyed
In court, what was the most devastating cross-examination of a witness that you ever saw?
So I’m sitting in the jury box (a “simple” possession with intent case) and the prosecution brought out their star witness to testify how he knew that the defendant had the (ready for this?) five ounces of marijuana (four is the max for “casual” possession in Texas). Prosecutor finishes and looked pretty smug. I had started to come around to his side. Defense attorney starts off with some banal line and then says “Johnathan, that is your real name, right?” Well “Rick” had a stunned mullet look. “Ah, well yeah, I guess”. “You guess what? Is that or is it not your legal name?” “Ah, well yeah, it is.” “And not Rick, or rather Richard, as you stated when you were sworn in?” “No, it’s Johnathan, sir.” “And Johnathan, does the DA know this?” “Ah, well, no, sir” (Starts to sweat). “Johnathan, are you wanted by the State of Oklahoma?” “Ah, well, sorta.” “That’s a yes? Did you lie to the DA about that? What else did you lie about? Does the DA know that you’re wanted for <at this point I wanted to see if the DA actually wet himself> perjury? In a case involving <and soiled himself> a possession with intent to sell marijuana case?” At which point the lawyer handed the chief bailiff a set of papers that I learned later was the warrant and such from Oklahoma. I had the seat closest to the prosecutor’s desk and distinctly heard him mumbling “fuck, fuck, fuck, why today?” “Today” was the day before early voting in the primaries and he had some pretty serious competition.
So the judge tossed the evidence given that the statement from the witness couldn’t be deemed reliable (or whatever, real lawyers help me) and his statement was the only reason the sheriff’s department got the search warrant to begin with. Essentially end of case. We didn’t even get a break for some stale sandwiches, but did get paid $9.36 to watch a prosecutor’s last case.
Oh, and the defense lawyer. Well “Johnathan” should have recognized his old college roommate!!!!
Patrick Bet-David Explains Why America Is Entering A Horrific Financial Crisis…
Bourbon Laced Tipsy Chicken with Peaches
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 chicken leg quarters
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 cups green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 cup chopped fresh peaches
- 1 dash nutmeg
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Sprinkle chicken quarters with salt and pepper. Place in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan and set aside.
- In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the paprika and all but 1 tablespoon of the green onions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 4 minutes.
- Spread the onion mixture evenly over the chicken, spoon the orange juice and bourbon over the top, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, turning and basting occasionally.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, spoon the peaches over the top, sprinkle with nutmeg, and return to the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender and shows no trace of pink near the bone.
- Remove the chicken from the pan, place on a serving dish, and pour the pan juices over the chicken.
- Garnish with the remaining green onions and serve immediately.
I was reading a book about how the Chinese where the first to people to voyage around the world and it got me thinking, could it be that the Koi San people in southern Africa are the descendants of those Chinese voyagers?
Khoisan I don’t know much about, but the inhabitants of the Lamu Islands in Kenya are indeed descended from Zheng He’s crew. This has been confirmed by genetic testing.
To this day, the Chinese gene is not only in their blood, but also remains in the daily lives of these people. There is porcelain, Chinese furniture and unobtrusive life skills that every Chinese is familiar with.
They use Chinese cupping, herbal medicines and some of them can even take their pulse!
Some islanders say their family name is Vae / 萬.
Silkworm and silk weaving skills have been passed down in the area, but have been lost over time.
Uwamaka Shariff’s Story
A Kenyan girl named Uwamaka Shariff is a descendant of Zheng He’s crew.
Shariff has completed high school, she longed to be able to go to China to study, but due to financial pressures, she decided to write a letter to Guo Chongli, the Chinese ambassador to Kenya.
In the letter, she wrote: “I am a Kenyan and also half Chinese, I am a descendant of Zheng He sailors …… I long to return to China ……”
Three months later, the Chinese Ministry of Education approved the application, allowing Sharif to study in China at public expense.
In July 2005, Sharif arrived in Nanjing on a plane, and Nanjing’s vice mayor Xu Huiling personally went to the airport to greet her and presented her with a beautiful sarong and flowers.
In Nanjing, Sharif was impressed by the rich history of the city, and she also witnessed the high-rise buildings lined up in Nanjing, and she felt more and more the charm of China in this city full of modernity and simplicity.
Here, Sharif experienced too many firsts in her life, the first time she stayed in a five-star hotel, the first time she rode in a lift, the first time she used an intelligent toilet, the first time she bathed in a shower. ……
Currently, she lives in Xi’an and Guangzhou.
Enjoy some vintage comics
What China just did to the U.S. Military is SHOCKING and War is Coming to Taiwan
The U.S. military has crossed China’s red line again, and China’s patience is being tested. Is the US and China destined for war? This video breaks it down.
Have you ever had a job where you did nothing for years and nobody found out?
Currently I work overnight as a concierge for an Apartment complex in the heart of Nashville.
Each night, I come in at 11pm, get told what happened during the day, and then sit at the desk for around 8 hours.
I watch tv, I read, I could bring any gaming console I wanted to, I play chess online allot, I do classwork if I have it, practice magic tricks, I exercise. My boss has even told me if I wanted to take a 30 minute nap here or there to go for it. Whatever.
At 6am I unlock the building’s front door, pool doors, deliver a few newspapers, and inventory our package room. In all honesty, it’s about 15 minutes worth of work give or take.
Technically I’m there as emergency relief, or just in case a tenet needs a package or food gets delivered, but that’s all once in a blue moon type stuff. 1 out of every 99 nights.
The funny thing is that all of the Tenets voted to have an overnight person, even though I see virtually no one. If they knew how little I did, I wonder if it would really change their minds.
What do people underestimate going into retirement?
The super massive black hole.
The best friend of your parents retires and is finally ready to sail the seven seas in his fishing boat with his wife, only to hear a couple of weeks before the journey that he suffers from terminal pancreas cancer, and that the final journey will be different, and end in pain.
I call it The sudden blow.
Your favorite aunt retires and wants to party more than ever, but gets depressed on the way about the hardships of the life that lies ahead, and ends her own life. (The sudden blow..)
Your dad retires, and he will travel, go to restaurants, sleep on sunny beaches, drink red wine, and enjoy every single minute of it, finally away from the constant stress a working life has endowed on his body and mind. And then he falls asleep on a beach towel, and never wakes up. (The sudden blow..)
It’s about a body that never stops working, it’s about a mind that never stops racing, it’s about a road that has been carefully paved over a period of more than 40 years which suddenly takes a drastic turn.
Isaac Newton knew that a body in motion wants to keep moving, and that’s exactly what happens to people who retire. The sudden blow.
It’s as if our minds and bodies have held on for so long, and then finally give up, and give in. The cancer that finally surfaces, the mind that implodes, the heart lacking oxygen — a human erodes.
So be careful if you retired only recently, and hear a strange knock on your door while you are reading this answer. Because it might be the sudden blow.
And it’s coming for you.
BRICS Currency Announced! Is it Gold Backed?
In this week’s video, we look at Russia’s announcement of an official BRICS currency. There has been speculation and rumors of this currency for some time, and one major theory is that it would be backed by a basket of commodities including gold. However, the Kremlin recently announced they have almost completed a digital currency based on blockchain technology. Backed by gold or not, if a new BRICS currency becomes internationally adopted for trade, the U.S. Dollar will lose value. If U.S. Dollar’s value decreases, we expect the price of gold to increase. While there is no official launch date yet, dismantling the dollar will take time and we don’t expect it to go down without a fight. In the meantime, we will keep an eye out for any official launch date and stay ready to keep viewers informed.
As a car mechanic, what is the craziest discovery you have found on an automobile?
I wasn’t the mechanic. I was the customer.
For many weeks, the hood of my car seemed to be getting heavier and heavier.
One day, as I was driving, I noticed an odd odor faintly resembling a shepherd’s pie cooking.
I pulled into my mechanic’s garage.
When he started lifting the hood, he, too, noticed that it was unusually heavy. With a manly thrust, he managed to lift it and place the prop underneath.
And that’s when the insulation fell away from the inside top of the hood.
What came pouring out was pounds and pounds of dry dog food nuggets, many of which rested on the engine and began a slow sizzle.
Mechanic: “Let me guess. You own a dog, and you park your car in the garage at night, right?
Me: Uh, right.
Mechanic: And you feed your dog dry food, yes?
Me: Uh, yes.
Mechanic: And you keep the food in the garage, right?
Me: Yes…
Mechanic: Then you also have squirrels.
Me: I do?
Mechanic: Yes. The squirrels are taking the nuggets and hiding them under the insulation blanket under the hood, for later. I’ll bet you’ve been thinking your dog has been eating more than usual, lately.
Me: Uh, yeah! Now that you mention it.
Mechanic: Case closed. You don’t need a mechanic; you need a couple of traps.
And he was right.
China and 20 nations unite to forge a Grand Canal from Xinjiang to the Mediterranean.
China and 20 other countries have embarked on an ambitious project to build a Grand Canal, aiming to form a direct route from China’s Xinjiang to the Mediterranean Sea via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor (TCTC). This collaborative effort announced in 2023 will dramatically shorten the transit time across Asia and Europe and benefit all participating nations. Placing China strategically closer to Europe, this new route bypasses the geographically and politically complex Malacca Strait, reducing reliance on longer routes. Leaning on Central Asia’s topographical advantage and existing rivers, plans to connect Xinjiang and the Mediterranean Sea with a canal seem plausible. By tackling the challenge of the Ural Mountains and linking the Tobol and Kama rivers, a canal from Central Asia to Europe could drastically cut travel distance. The project has the potential to reshape Eurasia’s geopolitical landscape and boost China’s global influence.